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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
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Methods to Discover Alternative Promoter Usage and Transcriptional Regulation of Murine Bcrp1
Published on: May 27, 2016
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N-BLR, a primate-specific non-coding transcript leads to colorectal cancer invasion and migration
Isidore Rigoutsos1, Sang Kil Lee2,3, Su Youn Nam2,4
1Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. isidore.rigoutsos@jefferson.edu.
Genome Biology
|May 25, 2017
Summary
The primate-specific long non-coding RNA, N-BLR, promotes colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis. Its presence correlates with tumor stage and patient survival, suggesting N-BLR as a potential biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Long non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their roles in cellular processes.
- N-BLR, a primate-specific ncRNA, is implicated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell migration, and colorectal cancer invasion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association of N-BLR abundance with colorectal cancer progression and patient survival.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which N-BLR influences cancer cell migration.
- To explore the potential of pyknon-containing loci as biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- Multivariate analyses of two independent colorectal cancer patient cohorts.
- In vitro and in vivo experiments to study N-BLR's effect on cell migration.
- Microarray analysis of pyknon-containing genomic loci expression patterns.
Main Results:
- N-BLR abundance is significantly associated with tumor stage, invasion potential, and overall survival in colorectal cancer patients.
- N-BLR facilitates migration via crosstalk with E-cadherin and ZEB1, mediated by a pyknon targeted by miR-200 family members.
- Differential expression of pyknon-containing loci observed in colorectal cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia tissues; several loci correlate with patient survival.
Conclusions:
- N-BLR is a novel molecular factor contributing to colorectal cancer metastasis and a potential biomarker.
- The functional pyknon in N-BLR and other pyknon-containing loci suggest a new class of primate-specific biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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