LncRNA LINC00342 contributes to the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer via targeting miR-19a-3p/NPEPL1

Abstract

Background Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 00342 (LINC00342) has been identified as a novel oncogene. However, the functional role of LINC00342 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Methods The expression of LINC00342 was detected by real-time PCR. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion and xenograft model were examined to analyze the biological functions of LINC00342 in vitro and in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to identify the target interactions between LINC00342, miR-19a-3p and aminopeptidase like 1 (NPEPL1). Results LINC00342 was highly expressed in CRC. Downregulation of LINC00342 inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells. Moreover, knocking down LINC00342 could weaken the tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigation revealed that LINC00342 might sponge miR-19a-3p to regulate NPEPL1 expression. Further investigation indicated that the oncogenesis facilitated by LINC00342 was inhibited due to the depletion of NPEPL1.Conclusion LINC00342 promoted CRC progression by competitively binding miR-19a-3p with NPEPL1.