Small peptide LINC00511-133aa encoded by LINC00511 regulates breast cancer cell invasion and stemness through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Abstract

LINC00511 is an long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) of ncRNAs,This study aimed to investigate whether the lncRNA LINC00511 could encode a small peptide, LINC00511-133aa, and whether this peptide could promote breast cancer cell metastasis and stemness by activating the wnt/β-catenin pathway. The LINC00511-133aa coding sequence vector and control vector were transfected into MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, with subsequent assessment of peptide expression using PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence assays. Cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis were evaluated using CCK8, apoptotic, wound healing, and transwell invasion assays, while the characteristic changes of tumor stem cells were detected through sphere-forming assay and western blot analyses of the stemness markers Oct4, Nanog, and SOX2. Results showed that LINC00511-133aa was indeed encoded by LINC00511 and promoted the invasiveness and stemness of breast cancer cells while limiting apoptosis by modulating the expression levels of wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins Bax, c-myc, and CyclinD1, as well as facilitating β-catenin protein entry into the nucleus. This study provides evidence for the potential involvement of lncRNA LINC00511 and its peptide product in breast cancer progression via the regulation of the wnt/β-catenin pathway.