AUTHOR=Cao Yuan , Li Juan , Jia Yanyan , Zhang Ruitao , Shi Huirong 

TITLE=CircRNA circ_POLA2 Promotes Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression via Regulating miR-326/GNB1

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.00959

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.00959

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of non-coding RNAs that have an essential function in the development and progression of various cancers. The expression pattern and function of circRNA in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) are not fully understood. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression profiles and regulation mechanism of circRNA circ_POLA2 in CESC. Circ_POLA2 was highly expressed in CESC tissues and positively correlated with poor prognosis in CESC patients. Knockdown of circ_POLA2 using shRNA inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion both <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>. Mechanistically, circ_POLA2 could sponge endogenous microRNA-326 (miR-326) and inhibit its expression. Furthermore, miR-326 negatively regulated G protein subunit beta 1 (<italic>GNB1</italic>) by targeting its 3′-UTR. Intriguingly, we found that <italic>GNB1</italic> was overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis in CESC patients. Overexpression of <italic>GNB1</italic> could antagonize the inhibitory effect of miR-326 on cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, we demonstrated that circ_POLA2/miR-326/<italic>GNB1</italic> axis regulated ERK signaling. In conclusion, circ_POLA2 promotes cervical squamous cell carcinoma development and progression via regulating the miR-326/<italic>GNB1</italic> axis, which might serve as a novel therapeutic target for CESC patients.</p>