Expression of circ-PHC3 enhances ovarian cancer progression via regulation of the miR-497-5p/SOX9 pathway

BACKGROUND: Accumulating studies have reported indispensable functions of circular RNAs (circRNA) in tumor progression through regulation of gene expression. However, circRNA expression profiles and functions in human ovarian carcinoma (OC) are yet to be fully established. METHODS: In this research, deep sequencing of circRNAs from OC samples and paired adjacent normal tissues was performed to establish expression profiles and circ-PHC3 levels between the groups further compared using RT-qPCR. The effects of ectopic overexpression of miR-497-5p and SOX9 and siRNA-mediated knockdown of circ-PHC3 and an miR-497-5p inhibitor were explored to clarify the regulatory mechanisms underlying circ-PHC3 activity in OC proliferation and metastasis. Information from public databases and the luciferase reporter assay were further utilized to examine the potential correlations among circ-PHC3, miR-497-5p and SOX9. RESULTS: Our results showed significant upregulation of circ-PHC3 in both OC cell lines and tissues. In the luciferase reporter assay, downregulation of circ-PHC3 led to suppression of metastasis and proliferation, potentially through targeted effects on the miR-497-5p/SOX9 axis in OC. SOX9 overexpression or miR-497-5p suppression rescued OC cell proliferation and invasion following silencing of circ-PHC3. Moreover, SOX9 inhibition induced restoration of OC cell invasion and proliferation under conditions of overexpression of miR-497-5p. Thus, circ-PHC3 appears to exert effects on cancer stem cell differentiation through regulation of the miR-497-5p/SOX9 axis. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings suggest that circ-PHC3 enhances OC progression through functioning as an miR-497-5p sponge to promote SOX9 expression, supporting its potential as a promising candidate target for OC therapy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13048-023-01170-w.