CircRNA_101951 promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by regulating the KIF3A-mediated EMT pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal tumor types worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are covalent closed loops of RNA, perform vital roles for the proliferation and metastasis of a variety of tumor types. In the present study, the expression, function and molecular mechanisms of action of a novel circRNA, circRNA_101951, were examined in CRC. The expression levels of circRNA_101951 in CRC tissue and cell lines were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation, the clone formation ability, cell apoptosis, the cell cycle and the cell migratory and invasive abilities were examined using MTT assays, colony formation assays, flow cytometric assays, and cell migration and invasion assays, respectively. The effects of circRNA_101951 on Kinesin II family member 3A (KIF3A) related gene expression were examined using RT-qPCR and western blot assays. The results indicated that circRNA_101951 was increased in CRC tissues and cell lines. The downregulation of circRNA_101951 inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation as well as cell migration and invasion of CRC cell lines. In addition, the downregulation of circRNA_101951 blocked the KIF3A-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway, which was detected by examining the expression levels of KIF3A and EMT related proteins. In conclusion, the current data revealed that circRNA_101951 may act as a potential biomarker for patients with CRC, and provided a novel insight demonstrating that the suppression of circRNA_101951 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for CRC.