Fig. 4

LINC00958 acts as a miRNA sponge of miR-422a. a Bioinformatics databases predicted that LINC00958 contained the binding site of miR-422a. b Expression of miR-422a after knockdown or overexpression of LINC00958 in colorectal cancer cells. c The expression of miR-422a in 63 paired colorectal cancer tissues. d Pearson’s correlation showed that miR-422a level negatively correlated with LINC00958 level in 63 paired colorectal cancer tissues (R = − 0.5122, p < 0.001). e RNA-FISH assays showed that most of LINC00958 was located in the cytoplasm of SW480 cells. f qRT-PCR results of U6, GAPDH and LINC00958 expressions in cell nucleus and cytoplasm. g The biotinylated RNA pull-down showed that miR-422a was pulled down by LINC00958 probe, but not by mutant LINC00958 probe, in SW480 cells. h RIP assay was performed with AGO2 antibody in SW480 cells transfected with miR-422a mimics or NC, and the enrichment of LINC00958 was detected. i miR-422a mimics significantly decreased the luciferase activity of wild type of LINC00958, but not the activity of mutation of LINC00958. j miR-422a inhibitor evidently increased the luciferase activity of wild type of LINC00958, but not it of mutation of LINC00958. Three independent experiments were performed for each group. All data are reported as the mean ± SD. **p < 0.01