The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), a tumor suppressor, is critical for the carcinogenesis and progression of different cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, the roles of lncRNA MEG3 in HCC are not well illustrated. Therefore, this study used western blot and qRT-PCR to evaluate the expression of MEG3, miR-9-5p, and Sex determining Region Y-related HMG-box 11 (SOX11) in HCC tissues and cell lines. RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assay were used to evaluate these molecular interactions. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and flow cytometry detected the viability and apoptosis of HCC cells, respectively. The results showed that MEG3 and SOX11 were poorly expressed but miR-9-5p was highly expressed in HCC. The expression levels of these molecules suggested a negative correlation between MEG3 and miR-9-5p and a positive correlation with SOX11, confirmed by Pearson's correlation analysis and biology experiments. Furthermore, MEG3 could combine with miR-9-5p, and SOX11 was a direct target of miR-9-5p. Moreover, MEG3 over-expression promoted cell apoptosis and growth inhibition in HCC cells through sponging miR-9-5p to up-regulate SOX11. Therefore, the interactions among MEG3, miR-9-5p, and SOX11 might offer a novel insight for understanding HCC pathogeny and provide potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for HCC.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNAs can regulate tumorigenesis of various cancers. Dys-regulation of lncRNA-AFAP1-AS1 has not been studied in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). This study was to examine the function involvement of AFAP1-AS1 in tumor growth and metastasis of CRC. METHODS: Relative expression of AFAP1-AS1 in CRC tissues and CRC cells lines was determined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Functional involvement of AFAP1-AS1 in tumor proliferation and metastasis was evaluated in AFAP1-AS1-specific siRNA-treated CRC cells and in CRC cell xenograft. Expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene expression was determined using western blot. RESULTS: Relative expression of AFAP1-AS1 was significantly elevated in CRC tissues and CRC HCT116 and SW480 cell lines. AFAP1-AS1 knock-down suppressed SW480 cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Also AFAP1-AS1 knock-down inhibited tumor metastasis-associated genes expression in terms of EMT. This carcinostatic action by AFAP1-AS1 knock-down was further confirmed by suppression of tumor formation and hepatic metastasis of CRC cells in nude mice. CONCLUSION: lncRNA-AFAP1-AS1 knock-down exhibits antitumor effect on colorectal carcinoma in respects of suppression of cell proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells.

Genetic variation and evolutionary demography of the shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis were investigated using sequence data of the complete mitochondrial control region (CR). Fragments of 993 bp of the CR were sequenced for 93 individuals from five localities over most of the species' range in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. There were 84 variable sites defining 68 haplotypes. Haplotype diversity levels were very high (0.95 ± 0.03-0.99 ± 0.02) in F. chinensis populations, whereas those of nucleotide diversity were moderate to low (0.66 ± 0.36%-0.84 ± 0.46%). Analysis of molecular variance and conventional population statistics (F ST) revealed no significant genetic structure throughout the range of F. chinensis. Mismatch distribution, estimates of population parameters and neutrality tests revealed that the significant fluctuations and shallow coalescence of mtDNA genealogies observed were coincident with estimated demographic parameters and neutrality tests, in implying important past-population size fluctuations or range expansion. Isolation with Migration (IM) coalescence results suggest that F. chinensis, distributed along the coasts of northern China and the Korean Peninsula (about 1000 km apart), diverged recently, the estimated time-split being 12,800 (7,400-18,600) years ago.