Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal malignancy in women owing to its diagnosis only at the advanced stage. Elucidation of its molecular pathogenesis may help identify new tumor markers and targets for therapy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable, conserved, and functional biomolecules that can be used as effective biomarkers for various cancers. Methods: In this study, a potential circRNA related to early diagnosis of OC, circMAN1A2, was analyzed. Overexpression/knockdown of circMAN1A2 in OC cells was used to decipher its effects on cell proliferation with a Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), cell cycle, clone formation, and wound healing assay. RNA pull-down and Dual luciferase assay were used to explain the underlying mechanism by which circMAN1A2 regulates OC cell proliferation. In vivo, the effect of circMAN1A2 in OC was evaluated using nude mouse xenograft experiments. Results: CircMAN1A2 was highly expressed in OC and promoted proliferation, clone formation, and tumorigenicity of OC cells. In addition, we found that circMAN1A2 acted as a sponge for microRNA (miR)-135a-3p; miR-135a-3p directly targeted the 3' untranslated region of interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) in OC cells, thereby regulating the phosphorylation of transforming growth factor-beta activated kinase 1 (TAK1), which resulted in promotion of OC cell growth. Conclusions: CircMAN1A2 promotes OC cell proliferation by inhibiting the miR-135a-3p/IL1RAP/TAK1 axis. In conclusion, circMAN1A2 may be a biomarker for early detection of OC and a target for subsequent therapy.
Mannosidases , MicroRNAs , Ovarian Neoplasms , RNA, Circular , Signal Transduction , Animals , Female , Humans , Mice , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation , Disease Progression , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/genetics , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/metabolism , Mice, Nude , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics , Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology , Ovarian Neoplasms/metabolism , RNA, Circular/genetics , RNA, Circular/metabolism , Signal Transduction/genetics , Mannosidases/genetics
Epithelial ovarian cancer is one of the most common and aggressive diseases among the female reproductive organ malignancies, and the molecular mechanism underlying this disease remains largely unknown. EMSY, a binding partner of BRCA2, has been reported to be amplified in ovarian cancer. However, the expression pattern and biological functions of EMSY in the progression of ovarian cancer are not fully understood. In this study, it was found that the expression of EMSY was significantly elevated in ovarian cancer samples compared to their adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, overexpression of EMSY promoted the growth and migration of ovarian cancer cells, while knocking down the expression of EMSY inhibited the growth, migration, and tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, EMSY was found to interact with beta-catenin and activate beta-catenin/TCF signaling. Our study demonstrated that EMSY played an oncogenic role in the progression of ovarian cancer cells and EMSY might be a promising target for the treatment.
Cell Movement/genetics , Cell Proliferation/genetics , Neoplasm Proteins/genetics , Nuclear Proteins/genetics , Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics , Repressor Proteins/genetics , Animals , BRCA2 Protein/genetics , BRCA2 Protein/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics , Female , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Mice , Neoplasm Proteins/biosynthesis , Nuclear Proteins/biosynthesis , Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology , Repressor Proteins/biosynthesis , Signal Transduction/genetics , TCF Transcription Factors/genetics , beta Catenin/biosynthesis
