Hsa_circ_0020134 promotes liver metastasis of colorectal cancer through the miR-183-5p-PFN2-TGF-β/Smad axis

•Transcriptomic sequencing detected the highest expression of hsa_circ_0020134 (circ0020134) in liver metastases of colorectal cancer (CRC).•The transcription factor PAX5 potently enhances the expression of circ0020134 in CRC cells.•A CRC-specific circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was established.•The circ0020134-miR-183-5p-PFN2 axis is shown to participate in the activation of the TGF-β/Smad pathway and promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition.•The novel circ0020134-miR-183-5p-PFN2-TGF-β/Smad axis may be an anti-metastasis target for patients with CRC.