TCF3-activated FAM201A enhances cell proliferation and invasion via miR-186-5p/TNKS1BP1 axis in triple-negative breast cancer.

Increasing evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely associated with the development of cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). LncRNA FAM201A has been identified as a key regulator in some cancers. However, its role has not been explored in TNBC. In this work, we investigated the biological role and regulatory mechanism of FAM201A in TNBC. The expression pattern of FAM201A was determined by RT-qPCR analysis. The biological effect of FAM201A on cellular process of TNBC was tested using colony formation, EdU, caspase-3 activity detection, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays. ChIP and luciferase reporter assays were performed to verify the interaction between transcription factor 3 (TCF3) and FAM201A. The interaction among FAM201A, microRNA-186-5p (miR-186-5p), and tankyrase 1 binding protein 1 (TNKS1BP1) was evaluated by luciferase reporter and RIP assays. The results showed that FAM201A expression was significantly upregulated in TNBC tissues and cells. Functionally, FAM201A knockdown inhibited TNBC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and accelerated cell apoptosis. In mechanism, it was confirmed that FAM201A was transcriptionally activated by TCF3 and served as a sponge for miR-186-5p to upregulate TNKS1BP1 expression in TNBC cells. Collectively, our study revealed that TCF3-activated FAM201A promoted aggressive phenotypes of TNBC cells by upregulating TNKS1BP1 expression.