Wilms’ tumour gene 1 (WT1) enhances non-small cell lung cancer malignancy and is inhibited by microRNA-498-5p

Wilms’ tumour gene 1 (WT1) is clearly recognized as a tumour promoter in diversiform of human malignancies. Nevertheless, knowledge of its expression, functions and potential molecular mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains elusive.

Differential expression of WT1 mRNA and protein between NSCLC and normal tissues were assessed by analyzing RNA-seq data from Oncomine and protein data from Human Protein Atlas, respectively. Subsequently, prognosis significance and immune cell infiltration were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plotter and CIBERSORT. 60 pairs of local NSCLC tissues were involved to validate WT1 expression by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot. Moreover, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, transwell, dual luciferase reporter assays and in vivo xenograft tumour growth experiments were conducted to explore the function and mechanism of WT1 in NSCLC.

Our solid data indicated that WT1 was increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines in comparison with their matched controls. In particular, its upregulation correlated with worse prognosis and immune infiltration of the patients. Functional assays demonstrated that knockdown of WT1 inhibited NSCLC malignancy, including inhibiting cell proliferation, survival and invasion. Further exploration discovered that microRNA-498-5p (miR-498-5p) was the upstream suppressor of WT1 by directly targeting the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of WT1 mRNA. Moreover, expression of miR-498-5p was notably decreased and inversely correlated with WT1 in NSCLC tissues. Finally, we proved that miR-498-5p was a potent tumour suppressor in NSCLC by suppressing cell proliferation, survival and invasion, while WT1 restoration could in turn disrupt this suppression both in vitro and in vivo.

The abnormal increase in WT1 contributes to the malignant properties of NSCLC cells, and miR-498-5p is a natural inhibitor of WT1. Our findings might facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies against NSCLC in the future.