The clinical significance and biological function of lncRNA SOCAR in serous ovarian carcinoma

Abstract Background Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies worldwide. Pelvic and abdominal metastasis is a leading cause for the poor prognosis of OvCa patients. The relationship between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and OvCa remains unclear. Identifying key lncRNAs related with OvCa metastasis is crucial for research on the mechanism of OvCa metastasis. This study was designed to investigate the role of a novel lncRNA, which we named SOCAR, in serous OvCa. Methods LncRNA microarray and Real-time PCR were used to examine SOCAR expression in high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and normal ovary tissues. The proliferation, migration and invasion of OvCa cell lines SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 were analyzed by CCK-8, Transwell and Scratch wound healing assays. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins. Results A novel serous OvCa-related lncRNA, SOCAR, was identified via microarray. SOCAR was overexpressed in primary HGSOC tumors compared with normal ovary tissues, and the expression of SOCAR correlated with progression in HGSOC patients. SOCAR also had higher expression in metastatic HGSOC tissues compared with primary cancer tissues. Moreover, upregulation of SOCAR promoted proliferation, migration and invasion in OvCa cells. Expression of Wnt1, β-catenin and MMP-9 were all increased by SOCAR overexpression. Conclusion SOCAR is related with HGSOC oncogenesis and progression. It may promote proliferation, migration and invasion in OvCa cells partially by upregulating MMP-9 through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.