Abstract
PIWI-associated RNAs (piRNAs or piRs), a new-found class of small non-coding RNAs, which are mainly expressed in germline cells and partly in somatic lines, have a vital role in carcinogenesis by maintaining genomic integrity and regulation of epigenetics. The previous studies have confirmed that the expression of piR-651 is upregulated in several cancer tissue and cell lines, including lung cancer. However, the mechanism of carcinogenesis and piR-651 remains to be elucidated. Therefore, the present study assessed the 95-D high metastasis human lung cancer cell line to detect the effect of piR-651 on carcinogenesis. Firstly, piR-651 promoted the high metastasis characteristic of the 95-D cell lines by Transwell and wound-healing assays. The influence of piR-651 on tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis was detected by the MTT assay and flow cytometry. In conclusion, piR-651 may be an oncogene in lung cancer formation and development. Therefore, piR-651 regulated carcinogenesis by influencing cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion, and may be a potential tumor marker and therapeutic target.