Linc-ROR induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in ovarian cancer by increasing Wnt/β-catenin signaling

// Yanhui Lou 1 , Huanhuan Jiang 1 , Zhumei Cui 1 , Lingzhi Wang 1 , Xiangyu Wang 1 and Tian Tian 1 1 Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266100, China Correspondence to: Yanhui Lou, email: lyh7497@163.com Keywords: ovarian cancer, long non-coding RNA, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, metastasis Received: January 16, 2017      Accepted: June 29, 2017      Published: July 25, 2017 ABSTRACT Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (linc-ROR) is an intergenic long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) previously shown to contribute to tumorigenesis in several malignancies. However, little is known about whether linc-ROR has a role in ovarian cancer progression. In this study, we found that linc-ROR expression was increased in high-grade ovarian serous cancer tissues compared with normal ovarian tissues or normal fallopian tube tissues. Furthermore, the level of linc-ROR expression was associated with ovarian cancer International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and lymph node metastasis. Linc-ROR promoted ovarian cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo , and contributed to cell migration and invasion. Linc-ROR knockdown in ovarian cancer cell lines inhibited the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program, which led to ovarian cancer cell metastasis through the repression of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Together, our results indicated that linc-ROR induces EMT in ovarian cancer cells and may be an important molecule in the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer.