Abstract
BACKGROUND: The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer remains largely unclear. METHODS: Integrating transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, differentially expressed genes were identified in gastric cancer. Using the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database-curated gene set, lncRNAs associated with invasion and metastasis were identified. The Cox analyses were performed to identify prognostic lncRNAs. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulation network was constructed to identify hub lncRNAs in gastric cancer. Functional and pathway analyses were used to investigate the function of identified lncRNAs. RT-qPCR and Transwell assays were used to investigate the expression in gastric cancer tissues and functions in gastric cancer cell lines. RESULTS: Based on GEO and TCGA databases, 111 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified between gastric cancer and normal samples. A total of 43 lncRNAs were significantly correlated with hallmark genes of cancer invasion and metastasis. Among them, as a hub lncRNA in the invasion-related ceRNA regulation network, FAM87A showed potential regulation on MAPK signaling and transforming growth factor (TGF) signaling cascade, such as TGFB2, TGFBR1, and TGFBR2. Furthermore, FAM87A also showed a significant correlation with cell adhesion molecules, such as Integrin alpha 6 (ITGA6) and Contactin-1 (CNTN1). RT-qPCR experiments showed that FAM87A expression was upregulated in gastric cancer tissues compared to normal samples (n = 30). Transwell assays showed that FAM87A knockdown inhibited the migration and invasion abilities of gastric cancer cells in vitro. Notably, clinical data analysis showed that lncRNA FAM87A could be an independent factor for the overall survival of patients with gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: LncRNA FAM87A may play a pivotal role in regulating migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. FAM87A could be a potential biomarker for the overall survival of patients with gastric cancer.