Zhou Dong-Ni, Ye Chun-Sheng, Yang Qing-Qing, Deng Yan-Fei
Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
Oncol Lett. 2020 Apr;19(4):3123-3136. doi: 10.3892/ol.2020.11412. Epub 2020 Feb 19.
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate numerous genes and influence the progression of various human diseases, including cancer. The role of regulatory ncRNAs implicated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), as well as their target genes, remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate specific long non-coding (lnc)RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs) and mRNAs associated with the molecular pathogenesis of NPC, and to predict the underlying target genes of specific lncRNAs and circRNAs. The expression levels of lncRNAs, circRNAs and mRNAs in NPC and chronic nasopharyngitis tissues were detected and analyzed using microarray and bioinformatics techniques. A total of 2.80% lncRNAs (425 upregulated and 431 downregulated) were significantly differentially expressed (DE) between the two tissue types. Additionally, 0.96% circRNAs (18 upregulated and 13 downregulated) were significantly DE, while 2.94% mRNAs (426 upregulated and 341 downregulated) were significantly DE between the two tissue types. In total, 420 NPC-associated nearby encoding genes (196 up- and 224 downregulated) of the DE lncRNAs were identified. Overlap analysis identified 23 DE circRNAs and their corresponding target genes, with 37 microRNAs and 50 mRNAs, from which 14 interaction networks were constructed. Subsequent pathway analysis revealed 221 DE target genes corresponding to 31 key signaling pathways associated with NPC, 14 of which may represent hub genes associated with NPC pathophysiology. Thus, certain lncRNAs, circRNAs and mRNAs are aberrantly expressed in NPC tissues, and partially specific lncRNAs, circRNAs and their target genes may influence the tumorigenesis and progression of NPC. Target prediction and regulatory network identification may help to determine the pathogenic mechanisms of NPC.
非编码RNA（ncRNAs）可调控众多基因，并影响包括癌症在内的多种人类疾病的进展。然而，调控性ncRNAs在鼻咽癌（NPC）中的作用及其靶基因仍不清楚。本研究旨在探究与NPC分子发病机制相关的特定长链非编码（lnc）RNA、环状RNA（circRNA）和信使RNA（mRNA），并预测特定lncRNA和circRNA的潜在靶基因。采用微阵列和生物信息学技术检测并分析了NPC组织和慢性鼻咽炎组织中lncRNA、circRNA和mRNA的表达水平。在两种组织类型之间，共有2.80%的lncRNA（425个上调和431个下调）存在显著差异表达（DE）。此外，0.96%的circRNA（18个上调和13个下调）存在显著DE，而2.94%的mRNA（426个上调和341个下调）在两种组织类型之间存在显著DE。总共鉴定出420个与NPC相关的DE lncRNA的邻近编码基因（196个上调和224个下调）。重叠分析确定了23个DE circRNA及其相应的靶基因，以及37个微小RNA和50个mRNA，并据此构建了14个相互作用网络。随后的通路分析揭示了与NPC相关的31条关键信号通路对应的221个DE靶基因，其中14个可能代表与NPC病理生理学相关的枢纽基因。因此，某些lncRNA、circRNA和mRNA在NPC组织中异常表达，部分特定lncRNA、circRNA及其靶基因可能影响NPC的肿瘤发生和进展。靶标预测和调控网络鉴定可能有助于确定NPC的致病机制。
