In addition, MALAT1 interacted with miR-204 and reversed the inhibitory effect of its target gene, ZEB1, thereby contributing to the EMT and malignant transformation.
These results suggest that, in HaCaT cells, arsenite decreases circ008913 levels, which act as a sponge for miR-889 and down-regulate the miR-889 target, DAB2IP, which, in turn, up-regulates ZEB1, increases mRNA levels of the cell-surface markers of skin stem cells, and is involved in arsenite-induced acquisition of CSC-like properties that lead to malignant transformation.
Here, we modeled malignant transformation in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) and determined that EMT and ZEB1 expression are early, critical events in lung cancer pathogenesis.