Hsa_circ_0001535 Regulates Colorectal Cancer Progression via the miR-433-3p/RBPJ Axis

A large number of studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are of great significance in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of circ_0001535 in CRC. The expressions of circ_0001535, miR-433-3p and recombination signal-binding protein Jκ (RBPJ) mRNA and protein in CRC tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot. The effect of circ_0001535 on cell proliferation was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. The effects of circ_0001535 on migration, invasion, angiogenesis and apoptosis were investigated by wound healing assay, transwell assay, tube formation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The interactions between miR-433-3p and circ_0001535 or RBPJ were studied using dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Xenograft tumor assay was performed to verify the role of circ_0001535 in tumor growth in vivo. The results showed that circ_0001535 and RBPJ mRNA expression levels were up-regulated and miR-433-3p was down-regulated in CRC tissues and cells. Circ_0001535 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis as well as promoted apoptosis in CRC cells. After analysis, it was found that circ_0001535 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to inhibit miR-433-3p and then up-regulate RBPJ in CRC cells. In addition, in vivo experiment had shown that circ_0001535 knockdown inhibited tumor growth by up-regulating miR-433-3p and inhibiting RBPJ expression. The circ_0001535/miR-433-3p/ RBPJ axis plays a catalytic role in the progression of CRC, which may provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of CRC.