LncRNA MSC-AS1 aggravates nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression by targeting miR-524-5p/nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2 (NR4A2)

Hongchao Yao,Yan Guo,Linli Tian,Like Yang,Yushan Li

doi:10.1186/s12935-020-01202-1

Hongchao Yao, Yan Guo + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-020-01202-1

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Abstract

BackgroundNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a subtype of head and neck cancer with dismal prognosis and high relapse rate. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in NPC has become a research hotspot in recent years. This study aimed to interrogate the function and mechanism of lncRNA MSC antisense RNA 1 (MSC-AS1) in NPC.MethodsMSC-AS1 level in NPC tissues and cells were detected by RT-qPCR. Function of MSC-AS1 in NPC cells was assessed by CCK-8, EdU, TUNEL, caspase-3 activity, and transwell invasion assay. Interaction of microRNA-524-5p (miR-524-5p) with MSC-AS1 and nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2 (NR4A2) was determined by RIP and luciferase reporter assays.ResultsMSC-AS1 was upregulated in NPC tissues and cells. Functional assays indicated that MSC-AS1 exacerbated cell proliferation, hindered apoptosis, and facilitated invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NPC. Mechanistically, MSC-AS1 sequestered miR-524-5p to upregulate NR4A2 expression in NPC cells. Finally, NR4A2 was conformed as an oncogene in NPC, and overexpressed NR4A2 could restore MSC-AS1 knockdown-mediated inhibition on NPC progression.ConclusionsOur study firstly showed that lncRNA MSC-AS1 aggravated NPC progression by sponging miR-524-5p to increase NR4A2 expression, indicating MSC-AS1 as a novel target for the lncRNA-targeted therapy in NPC.

Highlights

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a subtype of head and neck cancer with dismal prognosis and high relapse rate
MSC‐AS1 was upregulated in NPC, silence of MSC‐AS1 controlled proliferation and activated apoptosis of NPC cells Through GEPIA, MSC antisense RNA 1 (MSC-AS1) was identified as a highlyexpressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) samples (Fig. 1a)
We found that MSCAS1 level was elevated in NPC samples compared with the paired adjacent non-tumor samples (Fig. 1c)

Summary

Introduction

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a subtype of head and neck cancer with dismal prognosis and high relapse rate. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in NPC has become a research hotspot in recent years. This study aimed to interrogate the function and mechanism of lncRNA MSC antisense RNA 1 (MSC-AS1) in NPC. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an aggressive type of head and neck malignancy arising from nasopharyngeal epithelium [1]. NPC patients are still suffering from the unsatisfactory 5-year survival rate which is around 50–70% [2]. Large numbers of studies have delineated that lncRNAs function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in human cancer development [6]. Numerous lncRNAs have been reported in NPC progression. LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 regulated miR-423-5p/Rho/Rac axis to aggravate NPC

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