Highly expressed long non-coding RNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes cells proliferation and metastasis through Notch signaling in prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: Growing studies indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acted as imperative players in neoplasms initiation and progression. This research was designed to study the potential involvements of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 (FEZF1-AS1) in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-time PCR was performed to detect the expressions of FEZF1-AS1 in PCa specimens and cell lines. Correlations between G- FEZF1-AS1 expressions and clinical characteristics and overall survivals were determined using statistical methods. The CCK-8 assays, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell, and wound scratch assays were carried out to study cells viability, cells migration, and invasion. Western blot and RT-PCR were used for the determination of the influence of FEZF1-AS1 on Notch signaling pathway. RESULTS: We found that FEZF1-AS1 expressions were distinctly reduced in human PCa tissues and cell lines compared with their non-tumor counterparts, and its higher levels were strongly associated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.012) and Angiolymphatic invasion (p=0.022). Then, Kaplan-Meier assays showed that patients with higher expressions of FEZF1-AS1 were shown to predict unfavorable overall survival. Cox proportional hazards risks assays revealed that FEZF1AS1 acted as an independent prognostic factor for PCa. Functional investigations suggested that knockdown of FEZF1 -AS1 could suppress cells proliferation, trigger late apoptosis, and inhibit cells invasion and migration. Mechanistic assays demonstrated that FEZF1-AS1 exhibited its tumor-promotive roles by activating the Notch signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We suggested that FEZF1-AS1 served as a tumor promoter in PCa and may develop a novel therapeutic target for PCa patients.