HBx-upregulated lncRNA UCA1 promotes cell growth and tumorigenesis by recruiting EZH2 and repressing p27Kip1/CDK2 signaling.

ABSTRACT: It is well accepted that HBx plays the major role in hepatocarcinogenesis associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. However, little was known about its role in regulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a large group of transcripts regulating a variety of biological processes including carcinogenesis in mammalian cells. Here we report that HBx upregulates UCA1 genes and downregulates p27 genes in hepatic LO2 cells. Further studies show that the upregulated UCA1 promotes cell growth by facilitating G1/S transition through CDK2 in both hepatic and hepatoma cells. Knock down of UCA1 in HBx-expressing hepatic and hepatoma cells resulted in markedly increased apoptotic cells by elevating the cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-8. More importantly, UCA1 is found to be physically associated wi

SUBMITTER: Hu JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4806364 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature