Experimental and Bioinformatic Clues to the Potential Roles of hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 in Clinopathophysiology of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), covalently closed single-stranded non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), play pivotal roles in development and progression of breast cancer (BC). Although the roles of hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 in some malignancies have been explored, their function and expression in breast tumors are still unknown. This study was aimed to bioinformatically and experimentally evaluates the expression and potential function of hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 in BC. Materials and Methods: The quantitative real-time PCR method was used to determine the expression of hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 in 50 tumor samples and matched adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Besides, we used bioinformatic approaches to identify potentially important competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks that are regulated by these circRNAs using some databases and software tools. Results: The hsa_circ_0013958 was significantly down-regulated in breast tumors compared with adjacent normal tissues, while the hsa_circ_0003028 had an upregulated pattern. Interestingly, it is found the higher expression of hsa_circ_0013958 showed association with a lack of use of hair dye as well as age at menarche ≥14 years in subjects. On the other hand, hsa_circ_0003028 expression was meaningfully related to age at first full-term pregnancy, antiperspirants use, and regular menstruation. Next, we found that these two circRNAs can potentially regulate some circRNAs-mediated miRNA sponge regulatory networks. Conclusion: The current work indicated that the hsa_circ_0013958 and hsa_circ_0003028 had reverse expression patterns in breast tumors, and it seems that they play key roles in the physiopathology of this cancer through potential key regulatory ceRNA functions. However, further functional studies are needed to validate these bioinformatically observed roles. [GMJ.2021;10:e2064]

Circ_0003028 enhances the proliferation and glycolytic capacity and suppresses apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells via the miR-1305/miR-1322-SLC5A1 axis

“…According to the circBase database, circ_0003028 is located in chr14:66028054-66028484, the spliced length is 430 bp, the best transcript is NM_178155, and the gene symbol is fucosyltransferase 8 ( FUT8 ). Moreover, circ_0003028 has also been mentioned in breast cancer ( 15 ). However, the influence of circ_0003028 on the apoptosis and glycolysis of NSCLC cells and the specific mechanism of circ_0003028 in NSCLC cells are not clear.…”