Downregulated long non-coding RNA SNHG7 restricts proliferation and boosts apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by elevating microRNA-140-5p to suppress GLI3 expression
Authors: Haijie Xing
Xin Zhang
Yaozhang Dai
Liuzhong Wang
Jianzhong Sang
Ling Gao
Yamin Zhang
Hua Cao
Journal: Cell Cycle (2020)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: Apoptosis; GLI3; LncRNA SNHG7; MicroRNA-140-5p; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Affiliations: Department of Throat, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Otolaryngological Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR.China., Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR.China., Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, PR.China.

Abstract:  Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proposed to correlate with various carcinomas, yet the role of lncRNA SNHG7 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is hardly studied. This study intends to examine the molecular mechanism of SNHG7 on NPC cells. The NPC tissues and nasopharyngeal tissues of mild inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa were obtained. SNHG7, miR-140-5p, and GLI3 mRNA and protein expression in tissues and in the CNE1, HONE1, C666-1, CNE2, and normal NP69 cell lines was detected. IC50 and the protein expression of related drug-resistant genes of CNE2 and CNE2/DDP cells were determined. Proliferative ability, cell colony formation rate, cell cycle, and apoptosis of CNE2 and CNE2/DDP cells were also detected. SNHG7, miR-140-5p, and GLI3 mRNA and protein expression in CNE2 and CNE2/DDP cells in each group was detected. SNHG7's cell localization, the binding sites of SNHG7 and miR-140-5p along with miR-140-5p and GLI3 were detected. Overexpressed SNHG7 and GLI3, and underexpressed miR-140-5p were found in NPC tissues and cells. SNHG7 silencing and miR-140-5p elevation declined the drug resistance of drug-resistant NPC cells and their parent cells, restrained NPC cell colony formation ability and proliferation, and boosted cell apoptosis. SNHG7 specially bound to miR-140-5p, and SNHG7 silencing elevated miR-140-5p expression. GLI3 was a direct target gene of miR-140-5p and miR-140-5p elevation diminished GLI3 expression. MiR-140-5p inhibition reversed the impacts of SNHG7 silencing on NPC cells. In summary, our study reveals that downregulated SNHG7 restricts GLI3 expression by upregulating miR-140-5p, which further suppresses cell proliferation, and promotes apoptosis of NPC. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 When studying the flow cytometry data in Figure 5D, you have reason to be concerned. If you zoom in and look at the details, it is clear that several parts of the dot plots are repeated. I have included some examples. This is challenging to detect, and for the unexperienced you really need to spend some time on each dot plot to see the problem. ![file] , 
 #1 Of course there are always more. ![file] , 
 Fig 3  (a), detection of the cell cycle of CNE2 and CNE2 DDP by flow cytometry in each group... (d), detection of CNE2 and CNE2 DDP cells apoptosis by flow cytometry . Example panels. ![file] The editors and peer-reviewers of *Cell Cycle* looked at these and thought  Yes! That s exactly what flow-cytometry results should look like! , 
 Fig 4d. I have marked a conjunction that caught my eye. ![file] When you look closer, there is so much more. Here are two panels as examples. ![file] , 
 Retracted [17 March 2022] . ---------------------- We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal *Cell Cycle*, have retracted the following article: Yaozhang Dai, Xin Zhang, Haijie Xing, Yamin Zhang, Hua Cao, Jianzhong Sang, Ling Gao, and Liuzhong Wang. Downregulated long non-coding RNA SNHG7 restricts proliferation and boosts apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by elevating microRNA-140-5p to suppress GLI3 expression. Cell Cycle. 2020;19(4):448-463. doi: 10.1080 15384101.2020.1712033. Since publication, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data in the article. When approached for an explanation, the authors have been unable to address all the concerns raised and have not been able to provide all their original data or sufficient supporting information. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article. The corresponding author listed in this publication has been informed. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as u2018Retractedu2019. ,