Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly identifed non-coding RNA in many cellular processes and tumours. This study aimed to investigate the role of hsa_circ_0037251, one circRNA generated from several exons of the gene termed METRN, in glioma progression. Through in vitro experiments, we discovered that high expression of hsa_circ_0037251 was related to low expression of the microRNA miR-1229-3p and high expression of mTOR. The over-expressed hsa_circ_0037251 promoted cell proliferation, invasion and migration in glioma, while knockdown of hsa_circ_00037251 promoted cell apoptosis and induced G1 phase arrest. Then, hsa_circ_0037251 was observed to directly sponge miR-1229-3p, and mTOR was identified as a direct target of miR-1229-3p. In addition, knockdown of hsa_circ_0037251 up-regulated the expression of miR-1229-3p and inhibited the expression of mTOR. And overexpression of miR-1229-3p or low-expressed mTOR inhibited the glioma cell progression. Furthermore, transfection with mTOR overexpression vectors can restore the abilities of glioma cell progression even if hsa_circ_00037251 was knocked down using siRNAs. In vivo experiments revealed that hsa_circ_00037251 promoted the growth of xenografted tumours and shortened the survival period. These results indicated that hsa_circ_0037251 may act as a tumour promoter by a hsa_circ_0037251/miR-1229-3p/mTOR axis, and these potential biomarkers may be therapeutic targets for glioma.