Regulation of HOXA11-AS/miR-214-3p/EZH2 axis on the growth, migration and invasion of glioma cells

Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Nov:95:1504-1513. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.08.097. Epub 2017 Sep 21.

Abstract

Background: Glioma is one of the most common and aggressive malignant tumors in central nervous system. Recently, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOXA11-AS has been reported to be an oncogenic gene in multiple cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms of HOXA11-AS involved in cancer progression of human glioma remain unknown.

Materials and methods: The expression levels of HOXA11-AS in 45 paired primary glioma tissues and cell lines were examined by quantitative real-time PCR, and the correlation between HOXA11-AS expression and clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with glioma were analyzed. HOXA11-AS was knockdown in glioma cells by transfection with HOXA11-AS siRNA, and cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected. The tumor growth of xenografts with HOXA11-AS knockdown glioma cells was also analyzed.

Results: The expression levels of HOXA11-AS were significantly up-regulated in glioma tissues and cell lines compared with that in adjacent normal brain tissues and normal human astrocytes (NHA). High expression of HOXA11-AS was correlated with shorter overall survival in patients with glioma. Knockdown of HOXA11-AS inhibited glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. In addition, we demonstrated that HOXA11-AS functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-214-3p, which in turn positively regulated the expression of its direct target EZH2.

Conclusions: We demonstrated that HOXA11-AS acted as an oncogenic lncRNA that promoted cell growth and metastasis of glioma through regulating miR-214-3p/EZH2 axis. These results suggested HOXA11-AS may serve as an efficient marker and a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Keywords: EZH2; Glioma; HOXA11-AS; lncRNA; miR-214-3p.

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement* / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Glioma / genetics*
  • Glioma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation / genetics

Substances

  • MIRN214 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • EZH2 protein, human
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein