Transfer RNA (
tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) have been found to play important roles in the occurrence and development of
cancers. However, the tsRNA profile in
gastric cancer is unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify the global tsRNA profile in plasma from
gastric cancer patients and elucidate the role of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP in
gastric cancer. Differentially expressed tsRNAs in the plasma of
gastric cancer patients and healthy controls were investigated using
RNA sequencing. The expression levels of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP in the plasma of
gastric cancer patients, healthy controls and
gastric cancer cell lines were first detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The effects of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP overexpression or downregulation in
gastric cancer cells on proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8, scratch assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. There were 21 upregulated and 46 downregulated tsRNAs found in plasma from
gastric cancer patients. The significantly upregulated tsRNAs included tRF-18-S3M83004, tRF-31-PNR8YP9LON4VD, tRF-19-3L7L73JD, tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP, tRF-31-PER8YP9LON4VD, tRF-18-MBQ4NKDJ, and tRF-31-PIR8YP9LON4VD. The significantly downregulated tsRNAs included tRF-41-YDLBRY73W0K5KKOVD, tRF-18-07QSNHD2, tRF-28-86J8WPMN1E0J, tRF-29-86V8WPMN1EJ3, tRF-31-6978WPRLXN4VE, tRF-30-MIF91SS2P46I, tRF-26-MI7O3B1NR8E, tRF-30-RRJ89O9NF5W8, tRF-26-XIP2801MK8E, and tRF-35-V0J8O9YEKPRS93, In vitro studies showed that tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP inhibited proliferation of
gastric cancer cells. In conclusion, tsRNAs such as tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP could serve as a novel diagnostic
biomarker and target for
gastric cancer therapeutics.