LncRNA AC010789.1 promotes colorectal cancer progression by targeting microRNA-432-3p/ZEB1 axis and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Accumulating literatures have indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial molecules in tumor progression in various human cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the clinical significance and regulatory mechanism of a vast majority of lncRNAs in CRC remain to be determined. The current study aimed to explore the function and molecular mechanism of lncRNA AC010789.1 in CRC progression. The expression profiles and clinical value of lncRNAs in CRC were analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The level of AC010789.1 was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). Subsequently, AC010789.1 was silenced to investigate the abilities in proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells. Nude mice models were used to asses tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, we conducted bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays and RNA sequencing to determine the underlying regulatory mechanism of AC010789.1-mediated CRC progression.