CircKDM4B suppresses breast cancer progression via the miR-675/NEDD4L axis

Increasing studies have indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in various cancers. Here, we aimed to explore the roles of circRNAs in breast cancer. We identified a novel circRNA circKDM4B (hsa_circ_0002926) by whole-transcriptome sequencing and validated this by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Sanger sequencing. It was significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, circKDM4B, which is mainly localized in the cytoplasm, was more resistant to actinomycin D or ribonuclease R than its linear transcript KDM4B. In addition, the overexpression of circKDM4B inhibited cell migration and invasion in vitro, while knockdown of circKDM4B induced the opposite effects. In vivo, circKDM4B suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. Additionally, circKDM4B inhibited migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo. Mechanically, circKDM4B sponged miR-675 to upregulate the expression of NEDD4-like E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (NEDD4L), which catalyzes ubiquitination of PI3KCA, thereby inhibiting PI3K/AKT and VEGFA secretion. Collectively, these findings uncovered the tumor-suppressor role of circKDM4B in breast cancer, especially in angiogenesis and tumor metastasis, indicating that circKDM4B could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer progression.

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