Long noncoding RNA AFAP1-AS1 promotes tumor progression and invasion by regulating the miR-2110/Sp1 axis in triple-negative breast cancer

Cell Death Dis. 2021 Jun 18;12(7):627. doi: 10.1038/s41419-021-03917-z.

Abstract

Long noncoding ribonucleic acids (LncRNAs) have been found to be involved in the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and other pathological processes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Expression of the lncRNA actin filament-associated protein 1 antisense RNA1 (AFAP1-AS1) has been found to be significantly higher in TNBC than in other subtypes or in normal tissue samples, but the specific mechanism by which AFAP1-AS1 affects the occurrence and development of TNBC is yet to be revealed. In this study, we used Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, wound healing migration, Transwell invasion, and nude mouse xenograft assays to confirm the role of AFAP1-AS1 in the proliferation, migration of TNBC cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we performed bioinformatics analyses, reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot (WB), and dual-luciferase reporter assays (dual-LRA) to confirm interaction among AFAP1-AS1, micro-RNA 2110 (miR-2110), and Sp1 transcription factor (Sp1). We found that silencing AFAP1-AS1 and Sp1 or upregulating miR-2110 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, the dual-LRA highlighted that miR-2110 was an inhibitory target of AFAP1-AS1, and that AFAP1-AS1 functioned as a miR-2110 sponge to increase Sp1 expression. AFAP1-AS1 silencing led to a reduction in Sp1 mRNA and protein levels, which could be reversed by joint transfection with miR-2110 inhibitor. Our findings demonstrated that AFAP1-AS1 could modulate the progression of breast cancer cells and affect tumorigenesis in mice by acting as a miR-2110 sponge, resulting in regulation of Sp1 expression. Therefore, AFAP1-AS1 could play a pivotal role in the treatment of TNBC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • AFAP1-AS1 long noncoding RNA, human
  • MIRN2110 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor
  • SP1 protein, human