Abstract

Ribosomal proteins (RPs) are important components of ribosomes and related to the occurrence and development of tumors. However, little is known about the effects of the RP network on cervical cancer (CC). In this study, we screened differentially expressed RPL34 in CC by high-throughput quantitative proteome assay. We found that RPL34 acted as a tumor suppressor and was downregulated in CC and inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of CC cells. Next, we verified that RPL34 regulated the CC through the MDM2-P53 pathway by using Act D medicine, MDM2 inhibitor, and a series of western blotting（WB）assays. Moreover, an antisense lncRNA, RPL34-AS1, regulated the expression of RPL34 and participated in the tumorigenesis of CC. RPL34 can reverse the effect of RPL34-AS1 in CC cells. Finally, by RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay we found that eukaryotic initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3), which binds to RPL34-AS1, regulated RPL34-AS1 expression in CC. Therefore, our findings indicate that RPL34-AS1–induced RPL34 inhibits CC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis through modulation of the MDM2-P53 signaling pathway, which provides a meaningful target for the early diagnosis and treatment of CC.