LncRNA DICER1-AS1 promotes colorectal cancer progression by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway through sponging miR-650.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality rates globally. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a fundamental role in tumor progression, and increasing attention has been paid to their role in CRC. This study aimed to determine the function of lncRNA DICER1 antisense RNA 1 (DICER1-AS1) in CRC and confirm its potential regulatory mechanisms in CRC. The publicly available dataset was used to assess DICER1-AS1 function and expression in CRC. RT-qPCR or western blot assays were performed to verify DICER1-AS1, miR-650, and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) expression in CRC cells or tissues. To determine the function of DICER1-AS1, we performed CCK-8, colony formation, transwell, cell cycle, and in vivo animal assays. Using RNA sequence analysis, luciferase reporter assays, and bioinformatics analysis, the connection between DICER1-AS1, MAPK1, and miR-650 was investigated. DICER1-AS1 was significantly upregulated in CRC tissue compared to normal colon tissue. High DICER1-AS1 expression suggested a poor prognosis in CRC patients. Functionally, upregulation of DICER1-AS1 effectively promoted CRC proliferation, migration, and invasion ex vivo and tumor progression in vivo. Mechanistically, DICER1-AS1 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that sponges miR-650 to upregulate MAPK1, promotes ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and sequentially activates the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Our investigations found that upregulation of DICER1-AS1 activates the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway by sponging miR-650 to promote CRC progression, revealing a possible clinically significant biomarker and therapeutic target.

Li W ，Ke C ，Yang C ，Li J ，Chen Q ，Xia Z ，Xu J ... -  《Cancer Medicine》

Long non-coding RNA TP73-AS1 sponges miR-194 to promote colorectal cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion via up-regulating TGFα.

Cai Y ，Yan P ，Zhang G ，Yang W ，Wang H ，Cheng X ... -  《-》

LncRNA TTN-AS1 sponges miR-376a-3p to promote colorectal cancer progression via upregulating KLF15.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in regulating multiple cancers. TTN-AS1 was reported to function in several human malignancies. However, the biological function of TTN-AS1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been explored. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and the underlying mechanisms of TTN-AS1 in CRC progression. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of TTN-AS1, miR-376a-3p and KLF15 in colorectal cancer tissues and cells. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry and transwell assays were performed to determine the cell proliferation, apoptotic rate and invasion ability. Target genes were predicted using bioinformatics methods. si-RNA and miRNA inhibitor were transfected into CRC cells to explore the underlying mechanisms. Tumor xenografts were created to confirm the function of TTN-AS-1 in vivo. TTN-AS1 upregulation was observed both in CRC tissues and cell lines. Functional investigation showed that knockdown of TTN-AS1 inhibited CRC cell proliferation and invasion, while enhanced cell apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis identified miR-376a-3p as a target of TTN-AS1. Transfection of miR-376a-3p inhibitor mitigated the alterations induced by TTN-AS1 knockdown. Moreover, TTN-AS1 positively regulated KLF15 via sponging miR-376a-3p. Additionally, these findings were supported by in vivo experiments. In conclusions, TTN-AS1 promoted CRC proliferation and invasion through miR-376a-3p/KLF15 axis. Our findings suggested that TTN-AS1 might be a potential therapeutic target in CRC treatment.

Wang Y ，Jiang F ，Xiong Y ，Cheng X ，Qiu Z ，Song R ... -  《-》

The miR-106b/NR2F2-AS1/PLEKHO2 Axis Regulates Migration and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer through the MAPK Pathway.

Liu S ，An G ，Cao Q ，Li T ，Jia X ，Lei L ... -  《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES》

Long noncoding RNA FGD5-AS1 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through upregulating CDCA7 via sponging miR-302e.

Li D ，Jiang X ，Zhang X ，Cao G ，Wang D ，Chen Z ... -  《-》