The Long Noncoding RNA LINC00908 Facilitates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression Via Interaction With Sox-4

BACKGROUND: The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive and common malignancy worldwide. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated a pivotal role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various tumors. However, the function of intergenic lncRNA LINC00908 is still unknown in HCC. METHODS: The RT-qPCR method was used to quantify the expression of LINC00908. Migration and viability assay were performed to evaluate the in vitro effect and xenograft tumor model was used to measure the in vivo effect. Immunoblot was used to identify the association of LINC00908 with Sox-4 and the stability of Sox-4. RESULTS: We found a novel lncRNA related to HCC. LINC00908 is highly expressed in tumorous tissues and cell lines compared with normal ones. High LINC00908 expression correlated with advanced TNM stages, tumor size and metastasis. LINC00908 promoted the migration and viability of HCC cells. The in vivo xenograft tumor growth and proliferation were also enhanced by LINC00908 overexpression and inhibited by LINC00908 silence. LINC00908 physically interacted with Sox-4, and the association between LINC00908 and Sox-4 increased the stability of Sox-4 by reducing proteasomal degradation. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our current work has identified a novel lncRNA LINC00908 which is critically involved in HCC progression. The LINC00908-Sox-4 axis might provide a new and potential target for pharmaceutical therapies.