Novel long non-coding RNA LINC02532 promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion

backgroundLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a kind of single-stranded RNA of more than 200 nucleotides in length and have no protein-coding function. Amounting studies have indicated that lncRNAs could play a vital role in the initiation and development of cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). Considering the crucial functions of lncRNAs, the identification and exploration of novel lncRNAs in GC is necessary.

aimTo explore the role of novel lncRNA LINC02532 in GC.

methodsThe upregulated LINC02532 was identified by processing the GC RNA-Seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The qRT-PCR assay was performed to confirm the expression levels in GC cell lines and tissues. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated by the cell counting kit-8, colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell assays. The miRNAs downregulated in GC and sponged by LINC02532 were identified from and predicted by the data from the Firehose and RNA22 software programs, respectively. The miRNA downstream target genes were obtained from the TargetScan, miRDB, and DIANA online tools. Gene functional enrichment analysis was carried out using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery software in the categories of cellular components, biological processes, molecular functions, and KEGG pathways.

resultsThe qRT-PCR assay demonstrated that the LINC02532 expression level was significantly upregulated in the GC cell lines and 52 paired tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas data showed that patients with higher LINC02532 expression had poorer prognosis than those with lower LINC02532 expression. The correlation analysis between expression and clinicopathological features revealed that high expression of LINC02532 was associated with a high TNM stage (

conclusionThe present study suggested that LINC02532 acted as an oncogene in GC and may be a promising target for therapy and prognosis management of GC.