Conclusions
Our findings indicate that the chimeric transcript SEPT7P2-PSPH is a product of trans-splicing of two adjacent genes and might be a tumor suppressor gene, potentially having the role of anticancer activity.
Methods
We performed RNA sequencing to detect the fusion genes in ten NPC tissues. Sanger sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR were used to measure the level of the fusion chimeric transcript in NPC tissues and cell lines. The functional experiments such as CCK8 assay, colony formation, and migration/invasion were conducted to analyze the role of this transcript in NPC in vitro.
Results
We demonstrated that the chimeric transcript SEPT7P2-PSPH was formed by trans-splicing of adjacent genes in the absence of chromosomal rearrangement and observed in both NPC patients and cell lines in parallel. Low-expression of the SEPT7P2-PSPH chimeric transcript induced the protein expression of PSPH and promoted cell proliferation, metastasis/invasion, and transforming ability in vitro. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the chimeric transcript SEPT7P2-PSPH is a product of trans-splicing of two adjacent genes and might be a tumor suppressor gene, potentially having the role of anticancer activity.