Figure 3.

LINC00152 acts as a miR-193b-3p sponge to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in TSCC cells. Nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAs were separated and relative LINC00152 expression was detected via RT-qPCR in (A) CAL-27 and (B) SCC-9 cells (n=3). (C) Potential LINC00152 miRNAs capable of interaction were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Relative miR-193a-3p, miR-193b-3p, miR-376c-3p and LINC00152 expression in (D) CAL-27 and (E) SCC-9 cells was detected using RT-qPCR (n=3). (F) Relative miR-193b-3p expression transfected with miR-193b-3p or NC mimics in CAL-27 and SCC-9 cells was detected using RT-qPCR. (G) Relative luciferase activity in 293T cells transfected with LINC00152 WT or LINC00152 MUT and miR-193b-3p or NC mimics was analyzed as indicated using a dual luciferase activity assay (n=3). (H) CCK-8 assays were performed to measure cell growth at the indicated time points after transfection with miR-193b-3p/NC in CAL-27 cells (n=6). (I and J) p-p85 and AKT and c-caspase 3 were detected using western blotting as indicated. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. *P<0.05; **P<0.01. c-, cleaved; CCK-8, Cell Counting kit 8; LINC00152, long intergenic non-coding RNA 00152; miR, microRNA; MUT, mutant type; NC, negative control; OD, optical density; p-, phosphorylated; RT-qPCR, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR; si, small interfering RNA; TSCC, tongue squamous cell carcinoma; WT, wild-type.