Long non‐coding RNA SNHG17 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells by regulating the miR‐23b‐3p/ZHX1 axis

• Published in: The journal of gene medicine 2020-11, Vol.22 (11), p.e3247-n/a
• Main Authors: Ge, Bei‐Hai, Li, Guo‐Cheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioinformatics; Cell migration; Cell proliferation; Gene expression; Gene therapy; Glioma; Glioma cells; Immunoprecipitation; miR‐23b‐3p; Non-coding RNA; Nucleoli; Polymerase chain reaction; SNHG17; snoRNA; Transfection; Western blotting; ZHX1; Zinc finger proteins
• ISSN: 1099-498X; 1521-2254
• DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3247

Background Long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 17 (SNHG17) is a carcinogenic lncRNA in diverse cancers. The expression pattern and mechanisms of SNHG17 in glioma still await verification. Methods Paired glioma samples were enrolled. SNHG17, miR‐23b‐3p, and zinc‐fingers and homeoboxes 1 (ZHX1) mRNA expression were examined by a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). SNHG17 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and miR‐23b‐3p mimics were transfected into LN229 and U251 cell lines to repress SNHG17 and up‐regulate miR‐23b‐3p expression, respectively. Proliferation, migration and invasion of LN229 and U251 cells were probed by a cell counting kit‐8 assay and a Transwell assay. Bioinformatics prediction, dual‐luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, qRT‐PCR and western blotting were applied to determine the regulatory relationships among SNHG17, miR‐23b‐3p and ZHX1. Results SNHG17 expression was markedly raised in glioma tissues, which was positively correlated with ZHX1 expression and negatively associated with the expression of miR‐23b‐3p. After transfection of SNHG17 shRNAs into glioma cells, the proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells was markedly restrained. miR‐23b‐3p mimics the function of SHNG17 knockdown. Furthermore, miR‐23b‐3p was shown to be negatively modulated by SNHG17, and ZHX1 was identified as a target of miR‐23b‐3p. Conclusions SNHG17 is a “competing endogenous RNA” with respect to modulating ZHX1 expression by adsorbing miR‐23b‐3p and thereby promoting glioma progression. In the progression of glioma, SNHG17, miR‐23b‐3p and ZHX1 form a competing endogenous RNA network: SNHG17 competitively adsorbs miR‐23b‐3p, reduces its availability and up‐regulates ZHX1 to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells.