ZFHX2-AS1 interacts with DKC1 to regulate ARHGAP5 pseudouridylation and suppress ovarian cancer progression

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OCa) remains a highly lethal disease, largely due to late-stage diagnosis and limited treatment options for recurrent metastatic tumors. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recognized as key regulators of cancer hallmarks, yet their specific roles in driving OCa progression are not fully understood. In this study, we employed an integrated approach combining clinical correlation, functional assays, and mechanistic investigations to reveal that lncRNA ZFHX2-AS1 is significantly downregulated in OCa tissues and cells, with its reduced expression associated with poor clinical outcomes. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we demonstrated that overexpression of ZFHX2-AS1 suppresses OCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas ZFHX2-AS1 knockdown enhances these malignant phenotypes. Mechanistically, we defined that ZFHX2-AS1 interacts with and attenuates the enzymatic activity of the pseudouridine synthase DKC1, thereby reducing pseudouridylation and stabilizing the oncogenic ARHGAP5 mRNA. Re-expression of ARHGAP5 could partially reverse the tumor-suppressive effects of ZFHX2-AS1. Further, we found that ARHGAP5 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by regulating Rho GTPases activities, and that ZFHX2-AS1 inhibits EMT in OCa by downregulating ARHGAP5 expression and suppressing the Rho GTPase signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings identify ZFHX2-AS1 as a potent tumor suppressor in OCa, acting through the modulation of DKC1-mediated pseudouridylation of ARHGAP5 and the inhibition of the Rho GTPase pathway, thus offering a potential therapeutic target for combating OCa progression.