Circular RNA ITCH has inhibitory effect on ESCC by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Circular RNAs with exonic sequences represent a special form of non-coding RNAs, discovered by analyzing a handful of transcribed genes. It has been observed that circular RNAs function as microRNA sponges. In the present study, we investigated whether the expression of circular RNAs is altered during the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Using a TaqMan-based reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay, the relationship between cir-ITCH and ESCC was analyzed in a total of 684 ESCC and paired adjacent non-tumor tissue samples from eastern and southern China. We found that cir-ITCH expression was usually low in ESCC compared to the peritumoral tissue. The functional relevance of cir-ITCH was further examined by biochemical assays. As sponge of miR-7, miR-17, and miR-214, cir-ITCH might increase the level of ITCH. ITCH hyper expression promotes ubiquitination and degradation of phosphorylated Dvl2, thereby inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These results indicate that cir-ITCH may have an inhibitory effect on ESCC by regulating the Wnt pathway.
Department of Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Fang
F
Li
Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Liyuan
L
Zhang
Department of Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Wei
W
Li
Department of Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Jieqiong
J
Deng
Department of Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Jian
J
Zheng
Department of Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Mingxing
M
An
The Institute for Chemical Carcinogenesis, The State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Jiachun
J
Lu
Department of Genetics, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Yifeng
Y
Zhou
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D012313:RNA; C432966:ITCH protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
ESCC; Wnt/β-catenin pathway; cir-ITCH