LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 sponges miR-34c-5p to promote osteosarcoma growth via ALDOA enhanced aerobic glycolysis.

Metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, which is also called the Warburg effect, is a hallmark of osteosarcoma (OS) and leads to the enhancement of cell chemoresistance, growth, metastasis, and invasion. Emerging evidence indicates that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a crucial role in the Warburg effect of cancer cells. Here, we report that lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 was upregulated in OS. Meanwhile, functional experiments demonstrated that the KCNQ1OT1 facilitated proliferation and suppressed apoptosis of OS cells. In addition, KCNQ1OT1 contributed to the Warburg effect by stimulating aldolase A (ALDOA) expression. Furthermore, using bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull-down assay, we identified that KCNQ1OT1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-34c-5p, which inhibited ALDOA expression by directly targeting its 3ʹUTR. Taken together, these data identified a key role of KCNQ1OT1 in glucose metabolism reprogramming of OS. Targeting the KCNQ1OT1/miR-34c-5p/ALDOA axis may be a potential therapeutic target in OS treatment.