Circ-SAR1A Promotes Renal Cell Carcinoma Progression Through miR-382/YBX1 Axis

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence points to a role for circular RNAs (circRNAs) in important regulatory function in tumor advancement. We explored the effect and function of circ-SAR1A in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: circ-SAR1A expression in RCC tissues and cell lines was explored by qRT-PCR. The roles of circ-SAR1A on RCC progression were explored by in vitro function assays. Moreover, we determined the underlying mechanism of circ-SAR1A in RCC progression through bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: Our data reveal that circ-SAR1A is significantly high in RCC tissues and cell lines. High circ-SAR1A levels are correlated to advanced Fuhrman grade, and lymph-node metastasis in RCC patients. Functional experiments indicate that circ-SAR1A suppression decreased RCC cell growth and invasion abilities in vitro. Mechanistically, circ-SAR1A upregulated YBX1 expression by sponging miR-382, resulting in promoting the growth and invasion in RCC cells. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the circ-SAR1A/miR-382/YBX1 axis plays a critical role in RCC progression, which serve as a potential novel treatment strategy of RCC.