CircATP5C1 drives papillary thyroid carcinoma progression through HNRNPR nuclear export and BCL2L1 upregulation in a ubiquitination‑dependent manner

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable non-coding RNAs critically involved in tumor progression, yet their regulatory mechanisms in PTC remain largely unclear. Here, we investigated the oncogenic role and molecular mechanism of circATP5C1 in PTC.

We conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RNA sequencing, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), western blot, along with CCK-8, colony formation and wound-healing assays to explore circATP5C1 expression and function. A subcutaneous xenograft mouse model was further used for in vivo validation. CircATP5C1 was markedly upregulated in PTC tissues and closely correlated with extrathyroidal extension and lymph node metastasis.