Long non-coding RNA MUC5B-AS1 promotes metastasis through mutually regulating MUC5B expression in lung adenocarcinoma

Cell Death Dis. 2018 May 1;9(5):450. doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-0472-6.

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been involved in the process of cancer occurrence, progression, and treatment. Lung cancer-related lncRNAs are still an emerging field, thus we sought to identify novel functional lncRNAs as candidate targets in lung cancer. Here, we identified one novel lncRNA, MUC5B-AS1 (Ensembl: ENST00000532061.2). MUC5B-AS1 was upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma tissues compared with normal lung tissues. Moreover, MUC5B-AS1 promoted lung cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and promoted lung cancer cell metastasis in vivo. MUC5B-AS1 and its cognate sense transcript MUC5B were highly co-expressed and mutually regulated in lung adenocarcinoma. Mechanistically, MUC5B-AS1 promoted cell migration and invasion by forming an RNA-RNA duplex with MUC5B, thereby increasing MUC5B expression levels in lung adenocarcinoma. The high expression of MUC5B was significantly associated with poor outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma. Our findings highlight MUC5B-AS1 functions as an oncogenic lncRNA in tumor metastasis and implicate MUC5B-AS1 as an attractive candidate target for lung adenocarcinoma treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / metabolism*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / pathology
  • Animals
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mucin-5B / biosynthesis*
  • Mucin-5B / genetics
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism*
  • RNA, Neoplasm / genetics
  • RNA, Neoplasm / metabolism*

Substances

  • MUC5B protein, human
  • Mucin-5B
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Neoplasm