Circ-0001313/miRNA-510-5p/AKT2 axis promotes the development and progression of colon cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently emerged as novel and potentially promising therapeutic targets in a serious of cancers. However, the expression pattern and biological function of circRNAs in colon cancer remain largely elusive. This study firstly analyzed circRNA microarray of colon cancer and selected circ-0001313 as the study object. We aim to comprehensively investigate the expression pattern and biological function of circ-0001313 in the progression of colon cancer. Relative levels of circ-0001313 and miRNA-510-5p in colon cancer tissues and cell lines were determined with qRT-PCR. The binding relationship between miRNA-510-5p to circ-0001313 and AKT2 was predicted by bioinformatics analyses and further confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Regulatory effects of circ-0001313/miRNA-510-5p/AKT2 axis on colon cancer cells were evaluated by EdU assay and flow cytometry. Consistent with the microarray analysis, circ-0001313 was highly expressed in colon cancer tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of circ-0001313 attenuated proliferative ability, but induced apoptosis of colon cancer cells. Furthermore, we confirmed that circ-0001313 competitively bound to miRNA-510-5p, thus upregulating its target gene AKT2. Moreover, western blot analyses revealed that circ-0001313 also affects the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study revealed that circ-0001313 regulates the pathogenesis of colon cancer by sponging miRNA-510-5p to upregulate AKT2 expression.