The study aimed to investigate the expression and function of
bladder cancer (BC) long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) using a high-throughput platform. High-throughput sequencing was used to compare the expression profiles of
lncRNA in BC and adjacent normal tissues. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), in situ hybridization, gene ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis were performed to verify differential expression of
lncRNA. The effect of
lncRNA overexpression on cellular proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion was analyzed following the transfection of
lncRNA overexpressing lentivirus into 5637 and T24 cell lines. The overexpressing cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice to evaluate their effects on
tumor growth.
Tumor-associated
RNA-binding proteins of
lncRNA were analyzed by
RNA pull-down combined with mass spectrometry. A total of 93
lncRNA genes were upregulated and 352
lncRNA genes were downregulated in the tissues of patients with BC. Of which, we investigated the function of downregulated lnc-MUC20-9. Overexpression of lnc-MUC20-9 in 5637 and T24 cells resulted in decreased
tumor cell viability and cell clones, decreased migration and invasion, and increased apoptosis. Similarly, nude mice bearing lnc-MUC20-9 overexpressing
tumor cells exhibited smaller
tumor size and volume than that of mice bearing control cells. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that lnc-MUC20-9 binds to ROCK1, an oncogene whose expression was decreased in lnc-MUC20-9 overexpressing cells. The study revealed that lnc-MUC20-9 has the function of inhibiting
tumor growth, migration, and invasion. In BC cells, lnc-MUC20-9 binds to ROCK1 and may be involved in lnc-MUC20-9-mediated
tumor suppressor function, which might be potential therapeutic targets for BC.