The LncRNA lnc-POTEM-4:14 promotes HCC progression by interacting with FOXK1

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours of the digestive tract and poses a serious threat to human life. This study first analysed two GEO datasets (GSE166705 and GSE115018) to screen for differentially expressed lncRNAs between HCC and adjacent tissues. The lncRNA lnc-POTEM-4:14 was determined via a series of methods to be closely related to liver cancer. Further research was subsequently performed to investigate the role of the lncRNA lnc-POTEM-4:14 in the progression of HCC. The lncRNA lnc-POTEM-4:14 is localized primarily within the nucleus and is highly expressed in liver cancer tissues. We established lnc-POTEM-4:14 knockdown and overexpression cell lines to analyse the role of lnc-POTEM-4:14 in liver cancer through functional experiments such as qPCR and WB. We identified FOXK1 as an RNA-binding protein (RBP) of lnc-POTEM-4:14 that participates in MAPK signal activation and cell cycle progression by regulating the activation or expression levels of the downstream target protein TAB1 as a transcription factor. The restoration of FOXK1 can rescue the limited proliferation and increased apoptosis caused by lnc-POTEM-4:14 knockdown. Finally, we validated our hypothesis in a nude mouse tumour-bearing model. In conclusion, lnc-POTEM-4:14 affects the progression of HCC through the FOXK1/TAB1/NLK axis, suggesting that lnc-POTEM-4:14 has potential as a therapeutic target for treating this aggressive malignancy.