Gamze Nur Öter, Merve Nur Işık Kolukısaoğlu, İlknur Bingül, Servet Tunoğlu, Canan Küçükgergin
Demiroğlu Bilim Üniversitesi Florence Nightingale Tıp Dergisi - 2025;11(2):88-91
Objectives: Our purpose was to evaluate the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1-antisense 1 (ZEB1-AS1) and the transcription factor ZEB1 in prostate cancer (PCa) cells, and to explore their potential role in tumor aggressiveness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulation. Materials and methods: PC3, DU145, LNCaP, and PNT1A were cultured under standard conditions. miRNeasy Tissue/Cells Advanced Mini Kit was used to isolate total RNA. RT² First Strand Kit was used to synthesize complementary DNA for lncRNAs, and miRCURY LNA RT Kit for microRNAs (miRNAs). Rotor-Gene Q (Qiagen) system was used to carry out quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) using SYBR Green chemistry. ZEB1-AS1 and ZEB1 levels were measured in the PCa in vitro model. Results: The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that ZEB1-AS1 and ZEB1 were significantly upregulated in androgen-independent PC3 and DU145 cells compared with PNT1A (p<0.01), while LNCaP showed lower expression levels. Elevated ZEB1-AS1 was linked to higher ZEB1 expression, especially in PC3 cells, indicating EMT activation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the ZEB1-AS1/ZEB1 axis has a crucial role in PCa progression by promoting EMT and metastatic potential. This regulatory network could act as a possible marker and treatment goal, particularly in aggressive, androgen-independent PCa subtypes.
