Long-chain non-coding RNA LINC01554 promotes NGFR expression and inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma by binding to microRNA-3681-3p

Q.-Y. Hao, L.-H. Gao, W.-Y. Niu, G.-J. Wang, P. Zhang, L. Chen, D.-M. Zhu, W.-B. Shao

Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University; the First People’s Hospital of Nantong City, Nantong, China. newway82@ntu.edu.cn

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• Oncology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the role of LINC01554 in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the potential mechanism through which LINC01554 affects the migration and proliferation of HCC cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: LINC01554 expression in HCC tissues and its link to the prognosis of patients were analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to examine LINC01554 levels in 60 cases of HCC clinical tissues and HCC cell lines. Then, LINC01554 overexpression model was constructed using lentivirus in HCC cell lines. HCC proliferation and invasive ability were evaluated through Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8) and transwell tests, respectively. Furthermore, the potential action mechanism of LINC01554 was explored using bioinformatics analysis and in vitro cell experiments.

RESULTS: Analysis of the TCGA database revealed that LINC01554 was remarkably under-expressed in HCC tissues. Decreased expression of LINC01554 predicted a poor prognosis for patients. Besides, LINC01554 overexpression markedly blunted the proliferation and migratory capacities of HCC cells. LINC01554 competed with NGFR to bind to microRNA-3681-3p, thereby providing possible mechanisms by which LINC01554 could participate in the progression of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS: This study shows for the first time that LINC01554 modulates NGFR expression by binding to microRNA-3681-3p, thereby participating in the progression of HCC.

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