Transcriptome-Wide Dynamics of m7G-Related LncRNAs during the Progression from HBV Infection to Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: The functional ramifications of internal N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification on RNAs have recently come to light, yet its regulatory influence on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) during the inflammatory-carcinogenesis transformation process in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-mediated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unexplored. Methods: Clinical surgical samples encompassing HBV-related HCC, comprising both HCC tissue (tumor group, HBV+) and corresponding adjacent liver tissue (paracancerous group, HBV+), were collected for analysis. Additional adjacent normal liver tissues (normal group, HBV-) were acquired from patients with hepatic hemangioma, serving as controls. Employing MeRIP-seq, differential m7G levels of lncRNAs across these groups were compared to identify a subset of lncRNAs exhibiting continuous and dynamic changes in m7G modification. Subsequently, in vitro validation was conducted. Results: A total of 856 lncRNAs exhibited alterations in m7G modification when compared to paracancerous tissue and normal tissue. Similarly, 1775 lncRNAs displayed changes in m7G modification when comparing HCC tissue to paracancerous tissue. For intergroup comparison, orthogonal analysis revealed that 6 lncRNAs consistently demonstrated hyper-m7G modification. In vitro validation confirmed that among these 6 lncRNAs, TEKT4P2 and DNM1P41 exhibited m7G modification-dependent expression. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of lncRNA m7G modification during the inflammatory-carcinogenesis transformation process in HBV-mediated HCC. The findings highlight the potential for multiple lncRNAs to undergo m7G modification changes, with TEKT4P2 and DNM1P41 identified as promising molecular targets within this intricate regulatory landscape.