Abstract:
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cancer in men globally. The association between PCa
and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been reported. Aberrantly expressed lncRNAs have been
documented in each of the cancer “hallmarks”. Androgen signaling plays an important role in PCa
progression. This study aimed to profile the aberrantly expressed lncRNAs in androgen-dependent
(LNCaP) PCa compared to androgen-independent (PC-3) PCa cells. This was achieved by using a
384-well plate of PCa lncRNA gene panel. Differential expression of 2 up or downregulation was
determined using the CFX Maestro software v2.1. LncSEA and DIANA-miRPath were used to identify
the enriched pathways. Telomerase RNA component (TERC) lncRNA was illustrated to participate in
various tumourigenic classes by in silico bioinformatics analysis and was thus selected for validation
using RT-qPCR. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed the involvement of differentially expressed
lncRNAs in oncogenic pathways. Some lncRNAs undergo hypermethylation, others are encapsulated
by exosomes, while others interact with several microRNAs (miRNAs), favouring tumourigenic
pathways. Notably, TERC lncRNA was shown to interact with tumour-suppressor miRNAs hsamiR-
4429 and hsa-miR-320b. This interaction in turn activates TGF- -signaling and ECM-receptor
interaction pathways, favouring the progression of PCa. Understanding lncRNAs as competitive
endogenous RNA molecules and their interactions with miRNAs may aid in the identification of
novel prognostic PCa biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
