Probes for LONG

Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 or PIP3) mediates signalling pathways as a second messenger in response to extracellular signals. Although primordial functions of phospholipids and RNAs have been hypothesized in the 'RNA world', physiological RNA-phospholipid interactions and their involvement in essential cellular processes have remained a mystery. We explicate the contribution of lipid-binding long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer cells. Among them, long intergenic non-coding RNA for kinase activation (LINK-A) directly interacts with the AKT pleckstrin homology domain and PIP3 at the single-nucleotide level, facilitating AKT-PIP3 interaction and consequent enzymatic activation. LINK-A-dependent AKT hyperactivation leads to tumorigenesis and resistance to AKT inhibitors. Genomic deletions of the LINK-A PIP3-binding motif dramatically sensitized breast cancer cells to AKT inhibitors. Furthermore, meta-analysis showed the correlation between LINK-A expression and incidence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs12095274: A > G), AKT phosphorylation status, and poor outcomes for breast and lung cancer patients. PIP3-binding lncRNA modulates AKT activation with broad clinical implications.

Although long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) predominately reside in the nucleus and exert their functions in many biological processes, their potential involvement in cytoplasmic signal transduction remains unexplored. Here, we identify a cytoplasmic lncRNA, LINK-A (long intergenic non-coding RNA for kinase activation), which mediates HB-EGF-triggered, EGFR:GPNMB heterodimer-dependent HIF1α phosphorylation at Tyr 565 and Ser 797 by BRK and LRRK2, respectively. These events cause HIF1α stabilization, HIF1α-p300 interaction, and activation of HIF1α transcriptional programs under normoxic conditions. Mechanistically, LINK-A facilitates the recruitment of BRK to the EGFR:GPNMB complex and BRK kinase activation. The BRK-dependent HIF1α Tyr 565 phosphorylation interferes with Pro 564 hydroxylation, leading to normoxic HIF1α stabilization. Both LINK-A expression and LINK-A-dependent signalling pathway activation correlate with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), promoting breast cancer glycolysis reprogramming and tumorigenesis. Our findings illustrate the magnitude and diversity of cytoplasmic lncRNAs in signal transduction and highlight the important roles of lncRNAs in cancer.