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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
RNA Pull-down Procedure to Identify RNA Targets of a Long Non-coding RNA
Published on: April 10, 2018
Long non-coding RNA NRON is downregulated in HCC and suppresses tumour cell proliferation and metastasis
Zhicheng Yao1, Zhiyong Xiong1, Ruixi Li2
1Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510000, PR China.
Abstract:
Dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs is a newly identified mechanism for tumour progression. Previous studies have suggested that the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) gene plays a very important role in cancer growth and metastasis. However, lncNRON is a newly identified repressor of NFAT, and its function is largely unknown, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, the expression levels of lncNRON in 215 pairs of HCC tissue were evaluated by qRT-PCR, and its relationship to clinicopathological parameters, recurrence, and survival was analysed. Furthermore, stably overexpressing lncNRON cell lines were constructed and evaluated for cell phenotype. Finally, we detected epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins to determine the underlying mechanism involved in lncNRON function. We observed that lncNRON was downregulated in HCC tumour tissues; low lncNRON expression was associated with poor tumour differentiation and the presence of vascular tumour thrombus, which tended to result in poor clinical outcomes, as demonstrated by the recurrence rate and survival curves. Functional analysis showed that lncNRON overexpression impaired colony formation and cell viability and inhibited cell migration and invasion. A study using tumour-bearing mice showed that lncNRON markedly limited tumour growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Importantly, western blot analysis revealed that the expression of the EMT-related epithelial marker, E-cadherin, increased, whereas the expression of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, snail, and vimentin was attenuated by lncNRON overexpression in HCC cells. Therefore, lower lncNRON expression indicates a poorer clinical outcome in HCC. LncNRON overexpression can suppress HCC growth and metastasis via inhibiting the EMT, and lncNRON may function as a new HCC prognostic marker.
Insights
Lower levels of the long non-coding RNA NRON (lncNRON) correlate with poor outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Overexpressing lncNRON suppresses tumor growth and metastasis by inhibiting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggesting its potential as a prognostic marker.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their role in cancer progression.
- The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway is implicated in cancer, with lncNRON identified as a repressor.
- The specific function of lncNRON in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression levels of lncNRON in HCC tissues.
- To analyze the correlation between lncNRON expression and clinicopathological parameters, recurrence, and survival in HCC patients.
- To elucidate the functional role and underlying molecular mechanisms of lncNRON in HCC progression, including its effect on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
Main Methods:
- Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to assess lncNRON expression in 215 HCC tissue pairs.
- Construction and evaluation of stably overexpressing lncNRON cell lines.
- In vitro functional assays (colony formation, cell viability, migration, invasion) and in vivo studies in tumor-bearing mice.
- Western blot analysis to detect changes in EMT-related protein expression.
Main Results:
- lncNRON was found to be significantly downregulated in HCC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues.
- Low lncNRON expression was associated with poor tumor differentiation and the presence of vascular tumor thrombus, correlating with higher recurrence rates and poorer survival.
- Overexpression of lncNRON inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and markedly reduced tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo.
- lncNRON overexpression led to increased E-cadherin and decreased N-cadherin, snail, and vimentin expression, indicating inhibition of EMT.
Conclusions:
- Reduced lncNRON expression is a potential indicator of poor prognosis in HCC.
- lncNRON suppresses HCC growth and metastasis, likely through the inhibition of EMT.
- lncNRON represents a promising novel prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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