LncRNA TCTN2 Promotes the Malignant Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Regulating mIR-1285-3p/ARF6 Axis.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most life-threatening malignant diseases. TCTN2 protein participates in tumorigenesis and development. However, whether lncRNA TCTN2 is associated with HCC pathogenesis remains unclear.

Methods: The expression of lncRNA, TCTN2, miR-1285-3p, and ARF6 in HCC tissues and cells was detected by a quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. lncRNA TCTN2-specific shRNA was transfected into HCC cells, and a functional investigation was performed. The direct interactions between lncRNA TCTN2 and miR-1285-3p and ARF6 were verified by dualluciferase reporter gene assay. A rescue experiment was performed to confirm the role of miR- 1285-3p/ARF6 in association with lncRNA TCTN2.

Results: LncRNA TCTN2 exhibited a high expression in HCC tumor tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of lncRNA TCTN2 suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through regulating Cyclin D1/p21 and Bax/Bcl-2 signals. Meanwhile, the knockdown of lncRNA TCTN2 inhibited HCC cell migration and invasion through upregulating MMP2/MMP9. Mechanistic investigation revealed that lncRNA TCTN2 upregulated the expression of ARF6 via sponging miR-1285-3p. Rescue experiments indicated that miR-1285-3p inhibitor reversed the antitumor effects of lncRNA TCTN2 and ARF6 knockdown inhibited the progression of HCC.

Conclusion: Our results suggested that the knockdown of lncRNA TCTN2 inhibited HCC development by regulating the miR-1285-3p/ARF6 axis, implying that the lncRNA TCTN2 is upregulated in HCC and may serve as a diagnostic biomarker in HCC. Furthermore, it may demonstrate an important value for the clinical treatment of patients with HCC.