The Inhibition of microRNA-1299 by Long Intergenic Non-Protein Coding RNA 319 in the Regulation of the Proliferation, Apoptosis, Metastasis, and Invasion of Cervical Cancer Cells

While Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) molecules are important in the onset and development of cervical cancer (CC), the role of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00319 in CC is unclear. It is also unknown whether or how LINC00319 affects the biological behavior of CC cells through the regulation of miRNA-1299. In this study, LINC00319 expression was higher and miRNA-1299 expression lower in CC tissues than in paracancerous tissues. The expression level of LINC00319 and miRNA-1299 was found to vary significantly in different CC cell lines and the normal cell line. The silencing of LINC00319 or overexpression of miRNA-1299 decreased cell growth, metastasis, and invasion significantly; the protein level of corresponding markers, Ki-67, MMPs was reduced. The silencing of LINC00319 or overexpression of miRNA-1299 also increased the apoptosis rate and the level of the marker protein cleaved caspase-3. Therefore, LINC00319's role in promoting cell growth, metastasis, and invasion and inhibiting apoptosis in CC cells was determined; also, miRNA-1299's role in inhibiting cell growth, metastasis, and invasion and promoting apoptosis in CC cells was confirmed. LINC00319 was likely to bind to miRNA-1299 directly; the overexpression of miRNA-1299 considerably reduced the activity of a luciferase reporter gene that contained a LINC00319 binding site. Lastly, the inhibition of miRNA-1299 could partially reverse the silencing of LINC00319, leading to higher growth, metastasis, and invasion and lower apoptosis in CC cells. Overall, this study establishes that LINC00319 inhibits apoptosis and promotes growth and invasion of CC cells through the regulation of miRNA-1299.