NCBP3/SNHG6 inhibits GBX2 transcription in a histone modification manner to facilitate the malignant biological behaviour of glioma cells

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are significantly dysregulated in glioma. In this study, we demonstrated the upregulation of Nuclear cap-binding subunit 3 (NCBP3) in glioma tissues and cells. Further, knockdown of NCBP3 inhibited the malignant progression of glioma. NCBP3 directly bound to small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) and stabilized SNHG6 expression. In contrast, the gastrulation brain homeobox 2 (GBX2) transcription factor was downregulated in glioma tissues and cells. SNHG6 inhibited GBX2 transcription by mediating the H3K27me3 modification induced by polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Moreover, GBX2 decreased the promoter activities and downregulated the expression of the flotillin protein family 1 (FLOT1) oncogene. In conclusion, NCBP3/SNHG6 inhibits GBX2 transcription in a PRC2-dependent manner to facilitate the malignant progression of gliomas.