A long noncoding RNA Sox2ot regulates lung cancer cell proliferation and is a prognostic indicator of poor survival

Sox2 overlapping transcript (Sox2ot) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), localized on human chromosome 3q26.33, which is frequently amplified in lung squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). However, its roles in lung cancer remain under investigation. In this study, we found that Sox2ot was up-regulated over two folds in 53.01% of human primary lung cancers (44/83). The expression level of Sox2ot is significantly higher in SCCs than that in adenocarcinomas (ADCs) of the lung. Further study found high Sox2ot expression predicted poor survival in lung cancer patients (P=0.0053), implying Sox2ot is a novel prognostic factor. In two human lung cancer cell lines, HCC827 and SK-MES-1, knocking down Sox2ot inhibited cell proliferation by inducing G2/M arrest, with a concomitant decrease of cells in S phase. Reduced protein levels of Cyclin B1 and Cdc2 were also observed. Importantly, knocking down Sox2ot decreased EZH2 expression and reintroduction of EZH2 allowed Sox2ot knockdown cells progressed through G2/M phase, which correlates with the restoration of Cyclin B1 and Cdc2 expressions. Altogether, our data suggested that Sox2ot plays an important role in regulating lung cancer cell proliferation, and may represent a novel prognostic indicator for the disease.