FGD5­AS1 is an oncogenic lncRNA in pancreatic cancer and regulates the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway via miR­577.

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present study was to clarify the expression characteristics of long non­coding RNA (lncRNA) FGD5 antisense RNA 1 (FGD5­AS1) in pancreatic cancer, as well as its biological function and underlying mechanism. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) was utilized for the detection of FGD5­AS1 and microRNA (miR)­577 expression levels in pancreatic cancer tissues. Transfection was performed to upregulate or downregulate FGD5­AS1 in pancreatic cancer cell lines. MTT and Transwell assays were then utilized to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells, respectively. Subsequently, dual­luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, RNA pull­down assay, RT­qPCR, western blotting, and Pearson's correlation analysis were employed to confirm the regulatory relationships among FGD5­AS1, miR­577, low­density lipoprotein receptor­related protein 6 (LRP6) and ß­catenin. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of Axin2, cyclin D1 and c­Myc. The expression level of FGD5­AS1 was upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. FGD5­AS1 knockdown inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. By contrast, miR­577 was significantly inhibited in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues; its downregulation promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and reversed the effects of FGD5­AS1 knockdown on pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, it was revealed that miR­577 was a target of FGD5­AS1, and FGD5­AS1 could modulate the expression levels of LRP6, ß­catenin, Axin2, cyclin D1 and c­Myc via suppressing miR­577. In conclusion, in pancreatic cancer, highly expressed FGD5­AS1 activated the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling and promoted cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion via suppression of miR­577.