PCK2基因敲除HCT116细胞

LncRNAs and metabolism represents two factors involved in cancer initiation and progression. However, the interaction between lncRNAs and metabolism remains to be fully explored. In this study, lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 (FEZF1-AS1) was found upregulated in colon cancer after screening all the lncRNAs of colon cancer tissues deposited in TCGA, the result of which was further confirmed by RNAscope staining on a colon tissue chip. The results obtained using FEZF1-AS1 knockout colon cancer cells (SW480 KO and HCT-116 KO) constructed using CRISPR/Cas9 system confirmed the proliferation, invasion, and migration-promoting function of FEZF1-AS1 . Mechanistically, FEZF1-AS1 associated with the mitochondrial protein phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK2), which plays an essential role in regulating energy metabolism in the mitochondria. Knockdown of FEZF1-AS1 greatly decreased PCK2 protein levels, broke the homeostasis of energy metabolism in the mitochondria, and inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of SW480 and HCT-116 cells. PCK2 overexpression in FEZF1-AS1 knockout cells partially rescued the tumor inhibitory effect on colon cancer cells both and . Moreover, PCK2 overexpression specifically rescued the abnormal accumulation of Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and succinate, both of which play an important role in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Overall, these results indicate that FEZF1-AS1 is an oncogene through regulating energy metabolism of the cell. This research reveals a new mechanism for lncRNAs to regulate colon cancer and provides a potential target for colon cancer diagnosis and treatment.