title: Long non-coding RNA MEG3 functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate gastric cancer progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators in governing fundamental biological processes, and many of which are likely to have functional roles in tumorigenesis. Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) gene encodes a lncRNA whose expression is lost in an expanding list of primary human tumors and tumor cell lines, however its biological role and regulatory mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) development and progression are poorly defined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative RT-PCR analysis was used to determine whether aberrant MEG3 expression was associated with GC patients pTNM stage and pM state. Furthermore, the effect of ectopic expression of MEG3 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell apoptosis was assessed by using CCK-8, wound healing, transwell invasion assays and flow cytometric analysis, respectively, in GC cell lines HGC-27 and MGC-803. Moreover, the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) activity of MEG3 on miR-181a was investigated via luciferase reporter assay and immunoblot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MEG3 is decreased in GC patients and cell lines, and its expression was associated with metastatic GC. Furthermore, ectopic expression of MEG3 in HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis, which might be due to MEG3 sequestering oncogenic miR-181 s in GC cells. Furthermore, MEG3 could up-regulated Bcl-2 via its competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) activity on miR-181a.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that lncRNA MEG3, a ceRNA of miR-181 s, could regulate gastric carcinogenesis and may serve as a potential target for antineoplastic therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Weizhao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Qingxia
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Chaofeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing, 100005, China. wo_wfang@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing, 100005, China. j-yu@ibms.pumc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and gynecology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China. maren517@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: C498907:MEG3 non-coding RNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding