Long non-coding RNA linc00460 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell migration in lung cancer cells

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) function as critical regulators to participate in tumor progression and metastasis. However, their roles in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are poorly understood. In this study, we found that the expression of the lncRNA linc00460 is significantly upregulated in NSCLC tumors and associated with poor prognosis for NSCLC patients, implying that linc00460 is important for lung cancer development. The accurate transcription initiation and termination sites of linc00460 were then identified by rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technologies, and the sequencing data demonstrated that linc00460, predominantly located in the cytoplasm of lung cancer cells, is a novel transcript variant. Functional studies through gain- and loss-of-function strategies showed that linc00460 promotes cell migration and invasion through inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells, whereas it has no effect on cell proliferation. The mechanism investigations through RNA pull-down assay and mass spectrometry identified that hnRNP K physically interacts with linc00460, and it also participates in cell migration and invasion. Therefore, our findings suggest that linc00460 acts as an oncogene in NSCLC to promote cell migration and highlight the potential prognostic and therapeutic values of linc00460 for NSCLC patients.