CircSTK3 drives the metastasis of colorectal cancer by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial roles in malignancies. We aimed to delineate the functions and clinical importance of dysregulated circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC). We determined the circRNA expression profile from five CRC and paired adjacent normal tissues using circRNA microarray. We found that a novel circRNA, hsa_circ_0004592 (named circSTK3), was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues and correlated with decreased survival. Loss- and gain-of-function assays revealed that circSTK3 promoted the migration and invasion but not proliferation of cells. Whole genome expression microarray identified potential downstream targets and the regulatory networks of circSTK3; Gene Ontology analysis confirmed circSTK3 involvement in the CRC metastasis phenotype. Abnormal circSTK3 expression affected a subset of genes associated with CRC metastasis and triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition programming, maintaining a tumor-promoting signature. Moreover, circSTK3 was transcriptionally regulated by CTCF. These findings reveal the functional and prognostic roles of circSTK3 and expose circRNAs as key players in metastasis.