AUTHOR=Chen Jinxin , Li Xiaocen , Yang Lu , Zhang Jingru 

TITLE=Long Non-coding RNA LINC01969 Promotes Ovarian Cancer by Regulating the miR-144-5p/LARP1 Axis as a Competing Endogenous RNA

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2020.625730

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2020.625730

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p>Accumulating evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as biological markers and treatment targets in cancer and play various roles in cancer-related biological processes. However, the lncRNA expression profiles and their roles and action mechanisms in ovarian cancer (OC) are largely unknown. Here, we assessed the lncRNA expression profiles in OC tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and one upregulated lncRNA, <italic>LINC01969</italic>, was selected for further study. <italic>LINC01969</italic> expression levels in 41 patients were verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The <italic>in vitro</italic> effects of <italic>LINC01969</italic> on OC cell migration, invasion, and proliferation were determined by the CCK-8, ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU), wound healing, and Transwell assays. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) was evaluated using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. The molecular mechanisms of <italic>LINC01969</italic> in OC were assessed through bioinformatics analysis, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), dual luciferase reporter gene assays, and a rescue experiment. Finally, <italic>in vivo</italic> experiments were conducted to evaluate the functions of <italic>LINC01969</italic>. The results of the current study showed that <italic>LINC01969</italic> was dramatically upregulated in OC, and patients with lower <italic>LINC01969</italic> expression levels tended to have better overall survival. Further experiments demonstrated that <italic>LINC01969</italic> promoted the migration, invasion, and proliferation of OC cells <italic>in vitro</italic> and sped up tumor growth <italic>in vivo</italic>. Additionally, <italic>LINC01969</italic>, which primarily exists in the cytoplasm, boosted <italic>LARP1</italic> expression by sponging miR-144-5p and promoted the malignant phenotypes of OC cells. In conclusion, the <italic>LINC01969</italic>/miR-144-5p/LARP1 axis is a newly identified regulatory signaling pathway involved in OC progression.</p>