circRNA RNF111 regulates the growth, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells by binding to miR‑27b‑3p

Abstract

hsa_circ_0001982 [circRNA ring finger protein 111 (RNF111)] has been found to promote cancer growth; however, its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. The present study examined the effects of circR-RNF111 on the growth, migration and invasion of GC cells and aimed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The expression levels of circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p in GC tissues and GC cell lines were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). StarBase v2.0 and dual-luciferase assay were used to predict and analyze the association between circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p. The effects of circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p on cell growth, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. In addition, western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of genes related to cell apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The results revealed that circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p were closely related to the clinicopathological characteristics of GC, and that circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p negatively correlated and were abnormally expressed in GC. circR-RNF111 acted as a sponge of miR-27b-3p. The silencing of circR-RNF111 significantly inhibited GC cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion, and exerted a pro-apoptotic effect. miR-27b-3p inhibitor promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells, and inhibited cell apoptosis. In addition, circR-RNF111 silencing significantly decreased the expression levels of Bcl2, Vimentin and N-cadherin, and increased those of cleaved caspase-3 and E-cadherin. Furthermore, miR-27b-3p inhibition reversed the regulatory effects of circR-RNF111 silencing on the GC cells. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that circR-RNF111 is involved in the regulation of growth, migration and invasion of GC cells by binding to miR-27b-3p.

Circ-RNF111 aggravates the malignancy of gastric cancer through miR-876-3p-dependent regulation of KLF12

“…Deng et al demonstrated the oncogenic role of circ_0001982 in colorectal cancer development through sponging miR-144 [ 16 ]. Moreover, Wang et al uncovered that circ-RNF111 sponged miR-27b-3p to aggravate GC cell growth and metastasis and repress apoptosis [ 17 ]. Corresponding to the previous studies, we also demonstrated the promotional effect circ-RNF111 in GC.…”

“…The involvement of circRNAs in GC has also been widely explored [ 12 – 14 ]. CircRNA ring finger protein 111 (circ-RNF111, hsa_circ_0001982) was identified as an oncogene in breast cancer [ 15 ], colorectal cancer [ 16 ] as well as GC [ 17 ]. Even so, the functions and regulatory mechanisms of circ-RNF111 remain largely unknown.…”

Circ_0007841 accelerates ovarian cancer development through facilitating MEX3C expression by restraining miR-151-3p activity

“…CircRNAs were discovered to exert competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miRNAs in cancer [ 7 ]. For instance, circRNA RNF111 is the ceRNA for miR-27b to promote gastric cancer proliferation [ 16 ]. Circ-ZNF652 is the ceRNA for miR-29a to enhance liver cancer growth and metastasis [ 17 ].…”

The Effect of RBP4 on microRNA Expression Profiles in Porcine Granulosa Cells

“…In recent years, a class of non-coding, single-stranded small RNAs (microRNAs (miRNAs)) have been suggested to have regulatory functions during post-transcriptional stages in many physiological processes [ 22 ]. miRNAs play an important role in the active regulation of cellular and biological processes, such as cell migration [ 23 , 24 ], apoptosis [ 25 ], proliferation [ 26 , 27 ], and metabolism [ 28 ]. Multiple studies have demonstrated that aberrant miRNA expression in female reproductive tissues/cells and embryos is related to disordered folliculogenesis and GC proliferation [ 29 , 30 ].…”