title: UXT-AS1-induced alternative splicing of UXT is associated with tumor progression in colorectal cancer.
abstract: Increasing evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can act as crucial regulators of tumor progression. In the present study, UXT-AS1 was found to be significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and high expression levels of UXT-AS1 were significantly associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. In addition, upregulation of UXT-AS1 resulted in inhibition of cell apoptosis and the promotion of cell proliferation. Moreover, by regulating the alternative splicing of UXT, upregulation of UXT-AS1 decreased the UXT1 transcript which promoted cell apoptosis and increased the UXT2 transcript which promoted cell proliferation. Thus, aberrant high expression of UXT-AS1 can promote CRC progression by changing the alternative splicing of UXT from the UXT1 transcript to the UXT2 transcript. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the regulation of CRC progression is by UXT-AS1-induced alternative splicing of UXT, and the expression level of UXT-AS1 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapy target in CRC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Lisi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
keywords: Colorectal cancer; UXT; UXT-AS1; alternative splicing; tumor progression