SOX2-OT Binds with ILF3 to Promote Head and Neck Cancer Progression by Modulating Crosstalk between STAT3 and TGF-β Signaling

Ru Wang; Yifan Yang; Lingwa Wang; Qian Shi; Hongzhi Ma; Shizhi He; Ling Feng; Jugao Fang

doi:10.3390/cancers15245766

SOX2-OT Binds with ILF3 to Promote Head and Neck Cancer Progression by Modulating Crosstalk between STAT3 and TGF-β Signaling

Cancers (Basel). 2023 Dec 8;15(24):5766. doi: 10.3390/cancers15245766.

Authors

Ru Wang^{1

2}, Yifan Yang^{1

2}, Lingwa Wang^{1

2}, Qian Shi^{1

2}, Hongzhi Ma^{1

2}, Shizhi He^{1

2}, Ling Feng^{1

2}, Jugao Fang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tong Ren Hospital, Capital Medical University, 1 Dongjiaominxiang Street, Beijing 100730, China.
² Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Beijing 100730, China.

Abstract

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The molecular mechanism of lncRNA SOX2-OT in HNSCC remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the oncogenic role of SOX2-OT in HNSCC. QRT-PCR analysis was performed in 61 pairs of HNSCC cancer tissues, adjacent normal tissues, and 68 plasma samples confirmed that lncRNA SOX2-OT was overexpressed in cancer tissues and plasma samples, which served as a poor prognostic factor for HNSCC. The FISH assay demonstrated that SOX2-OT was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of HNSCC cell lines. Further, the cell function assay confirmed that SOX2-OT promoted cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. RNA pulldown and RIP assay results revealed that SOX2-OT bonds with ILF3 in HNSCC, and the rescue assay confirmed that SOX2-OT played an oncogenic role depending on ILF3 protein expression. Ingenuity pathway analysis and Western blotting indicated that SOX2-OT regulated HNSCC progression by promoting STAT3 phosphorylation and modulating the crosstalk between STAT3 and TGF-β signaling. These results reveal evidence for the role of SOX2-OT in HNSCC progression and metastasis by binding to ILF3, which may serve as a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker in HNSCC.

Keywords: ILF3; STAT3; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; lncRNA SOX2-OT.

Abstract

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