LncRNA TP53TG1 Promotes the Growth and Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Activation of ERK Signaling

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TP53 target 1 (TP53TG1) was discovered as a TP53 target gene. TP53TG1 has been reported as having dual roles by exerting tumor-suppressive and oncogenic activities that vary depending on the cancer type. Yet, the role of TP53TG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not fully understood. In this study, we performed both gain- and loss-of-function studies to determine the biological role of TP53TG1 in HCC. We found that the knockdown of TP53 in HCC cells caused the upregulation of TP53TG1. Furthermore, we found that the knockdown of TP53TG1 not only suppressed HCC cell proliferation and migration, but also reduced intrinsic ERK signaling. In contrast, the overexpression of TP53TG1 increased ERK activation and enhanced HCC proliferation. In conclusion, our study reveals an oncogenic role of TP53TG1 in HCC, which provides a novel insight into the cell-type-specific function of TP53TG1 in HCC.