CircGNAO1 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression and metastasis via sponging miR-182-5p and regulating FOXO1 expression.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Using high-throughput sequencing, we identified a novel circRNA, circGNAO1, which is downregulated in HCC tissues compared to adjacent tissues. However, the potential functions and mechanisms of circGNAO1 in HCC metastasis remain unclear.

Methods: qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of circGNAO1, miR-182-5p, and FOXO1 in HCC cells and tissues. Bioinformatics analysis, RNA pull-down assyas, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were employed to verify the interaction between circGNAO1 and miR-182-5p. Functional experiments were conducted using circGNAO1 overexpression and knockdown cell lines, including Transwell, wound healing, and EdU assays. Liver metastasis models and subcutaneous xenograft mouse models were established to analyze the effect of circGNAO1 on HCC metastasis and growth in vivo.

Results: High-throughput sequencing and qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of circGNAO1 dramatically decreased in HCC tissues. Functionally, in vivo and in vitro experiments verified that overexpression of circGNAO1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of HCC cells, while knockdown of circGNAO1 promoted these behaviors. Mechanistically, we have demonstrated that circGNAO1 functions as a sponge for miR-182-5p to regulate FOXO1 expression, thereby activating the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway and EMT process.

Conclusions: circGNAO1 suppresses the progression and metastasis of HCC through the miR-182-5p/FOXO1 axis, and circGNAO1 may be an efficient therapeutic target in HCC.