LncRNA CRNDE expression in colorectal cancer tissues and colorectal cancer cells.
The differentially expressed genes were screened by microarray analysis. As shown in the volcano diagram 1A and cluster diagram 1B, LncRNA CRNDE was high expression in cancer tissues compared with paracancerous tissues. Different expression circRNAs between the CRC tissue and adjacent are displayed in the cluster analysis (Figure 1A). The volcano plot described the variation of circRNA expression between CRC and adjacent normal tissues (Figure 1B).
Further detected in 40 paired tisssues proved that LncRNA CRNDE was significantly up-regulated in colorectal cancer tissues, while its expression was relatively low in paracancerous tissues(Figure 1C). In addition, compared to the normal colorectal cell line NCM460, LncRNA CRNDE expression was significantly increased in four colorectal cancer cells HT116,SW620,SW480,LOVO(Figure 1D). Therefore, SW620 cells were selected for subsequent experiments.
To further clarify the function of LncRNA CRNDE in colorectal cancer cells, LncRNA CRNDE lentiviral vector being constructed. The vector was transfected into SW620 cell as empty vector group (NC), over-expressed group (OE-CRNDE) and interference group (Si-CRNDE). Fluorescent image and qRT-PCR results verified the expression of lncRNA CRNDE in different groups(Fig. 1E,F). The difference between the interference group and the over-expression group is significant(*:P<0.05, **P<0.01).
Over-expression of LncRNA CRNDE promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRCs.
CCK-8 assay proved that over-expression of LncRNA CRNDE increased the cell viability in the OE-CRNDE group, while the cell viability was significantly inhibited in the si-CRNDE group(Fig. 2A). Cloning formation experiments showed that over-expression of LncRNA CRNDE significantly increased the proliferation of SW620 cells (Fig. 2B). The wound healing assay confirmed that the migration ability of the OE-CRNDE group cells was significantly promoted, while the si-CRNDE group was significantly inhibited (Fig. 2C). Transwell assays results identified that the invasion of the CRC cells was enhanced in over-expression LncRNA CRNDE group. These data suggested that over-expression of LncRNA CRNDE can promote the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRCs.
LncRNA CRNDE influenced CRCs cell cycle
Based on the cell cycle results by flow cytometry anlysis, the S phrase and G2/M phrase cells was accumulating while G0/G1 phrase cells was decreasing in OE-CRNDE group(Fig. 3A). Western blot showed that the cell cycle related protein CDK4 and cyclinD1 expression was increased in OE-CRNDE group, while its expression in si-CRNDE group was decreased(Fig. 3B). The S phrase and G2/M phrase representated DNA replication and protein synthesis periods in cells, and was also the main period of cell division.The result proved that OE-CRNDE induced CRC cells division.
LncRNA CRNDE promoted CRCs proliferation and migration through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was a important pathway in the genesis and development of many cancer cells. Western blotting results showed that Wnt/β-catenin related proteinβ-catenin, c-myc, APC, Axin2 in the OE-CRNDE group were increased, while the above proteins in the si-CRNDE group were significantly decreased (Fig. 4A). These results suggest that lncRNA CRNDE may affect SW620 proliferation and migration through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
LncRNA CRNDE induced CRC cells resisitance to PTX
Previous research have reported the treatment of PTX in cancer, but the mechanisim invovled in the process still not clear. To further revealed the mechanisim of PTX treatment to CRC, we first treated SW620 cells with different concentrations of PTX to identified the optimal drug concentration and time. Based on the results, we selected 0.06g/uL as the PTX treat concentration dor next experiment.
After that, transfected OE-CRNDE and si-CRNDE vector into SW620 cells, then treated the cells with PTX. Wound healing assay showed that the proliferation of the cells was accelerated in OE-CRNDE group after treated with PTX(Fig. 5A). Transwell experiment proved that when treated with PTX, the cell invasion and migration ability in the OE-CRNDE group was increased than that in the NC group, while it was decreased in the si-CRNDE group(Fig. 5B). Cell cycle experiment showed that when treated with PTX in OE-CRNDE group, the G0/G1 phase cells was shortan while G2/M phase cells was longer than that in other groups. These results suggested that lncRNA CRNDE could enhance the resisitance of CRC to PTX, thus affecting the proliferation and invasion of CRC (Fig. 5C).
LncRNA CRNDE enhanced CRC resisitance to PTX through Wnt/ β-catenin signaling pathway
To further confirm the mechanisims of lncRNA CRNDE regulation CRC to paclitaxel treatment, appropriate amount of PTX was added to different CRCs groups. After a period of culture, the protein expression was analyzed by western blot. Compared to the control group, the cell cycle related protein CDK4 and cyclinD1 was significantly decreased both in OE-CRNDE and si-CRNDE group after treated with PTX(Fig. 6A). The Wnt/ β-catenin signaling pathway related protein β-catenin, c-myc, GSK-3β, APC, Axin2 were all decreased when treated the with PTX(Fig. 6B).These results suggested that over-expression of lncCRNDE could enhance the CRC resisitance to PTX through inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.