CircURI1 interacts with hnRNPM to inhibit metastasis by modulating alternative splicing in gastric cancer

Significance Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play increasingly appreciated gene-regulatory roles in the process of human tumorigenesis. Our results demonstrated that circURI1 expression levels were significantly increased in gastric cancer (GC) compared to paraGC, and the depletion of circURI1 promoted metastasis in vitro and in vivo. CircURI1 directly interacted with hnRNPM and modulated alternative splicing by sequestering the hnRNPM protein. Our study provides a reported association of circRNA, alternative splicing, and metastasis and sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of metastatic GC.