Lin Chen1, Dongxing Zhang2, Tao Ding1, Feng Liu1, Xiaolin Xu1, Ye Tian2, Jing Xiao2, Hongliang Shen2. 1. Department of Urology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, Shanghai, P.R. China. 2. Department of Urology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University of Tongzhou District, Beijing, P.R. China.
Abstract
Background: Zhang et al. characterized a novel oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) named NR2F2-AS1 in lung cancer. In this study, the role of lncRNA NR2F2-AS1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) was explored. Materials and Methods: Levels of NR2F2-AS1 and Rac1 mRNA expression in both cancer and noncancer tissues from 60 patients with ccRCC were measured by performing RT-qPCR. NR2F2-AS1 siRNA silencing and overexpression experiments were performed to analyze the role of NR2F2-AS1 in regulating Rac1 expression. Cell stemness was analyzed by stemness assay. Results: NR2F2-AS1 was upregulated in ccRCC, and high NR2F2-AS1 expression levels in ccRCC tissues were associated with poor survival. Rac1 was also upregulated in ccRCC and positively correlated with NR2F2-AS1. In ccRCC cells, NR2F2-AS1 overexpression mediated the upregulation of Rac1, whereas NR2F2-AS1 siRNA was accompanied by Rac1 downregulation. NR2F2-AS1 and Rac1 overexpression resulted in the increased ccRCC cell stemness, whereas NR2F2-AS1 and Rac1 siRNA silencing played an opposite role. Rac1 overexpression inhibited the role of NR2F2-AS1 siRNA silencing. Conclusions: NR2F2-AS1 may upregulate Rac1 to increase cancer stemness in ccRCC.
Background: Zhang et al. characterized a novel oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) named NR2F2-AS1 in lung cancer. In this study, the role of lncRNA NR2F2-AS1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) was explored. Materials and Methods: Levels of NR2F2-AS1 and Rac1 mRNA expression in both cancer and noncancer tissues from 60 patients with ccRCC were measured by performing RT-qPCR. NR2F2-AS1 siRNA silencing and overexpression experiments were performed to analyze the role of NR2F2-AS1 in regulating Rac1 expression. Cell stemness was analyzed by stemness assay. Results:NR2F2-AS1 was upregulated in ccRCC, and high NR2F2-AS1 expression levels in ccRCC tissues were associated with poor survival. Rac1 was also upregulated in ccRCC and positively correlated with NR2F2-AS1. In ccRCC cells, NR2F2-AS1 overexpression mediated the upregulation of Rac1, whereas NR2F2-AS1 siRNA was accompanied by Rac1 downregulation. NR2F2-AS1 and Rac1 overexpression resulted in the increased ccRCC cell stemness, whereas NR2F2-AS1 and Rac1 siRNA silencing played an opposite role. Rac1 overexpression inhibited the role of NR2F2-AS1 siRNA silencing. Conclusions: NR2F2-AS1 may upregulate Rac1 to increase cancer stemness in ccRCC.