circRNA basic information
circBase ID: hsa_circ_0003458
Name: hsa_circ_PTBP3
Synonym: circPTBP3
Host Gene: PTBP3
Genomic location(hg19): chr9:115013208-115060196:-
Genomic location(hg38): chr9:112250928-112297916:-
Subcellular localization: cytoplasm
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disease basic information
MONDO ID:
0005575
MONDO name: colorectal cancer
Disease details: colorectal cancer
Disease DO ID:
5672, 9256
Disease MeSH ID:
-
Disease NCIt ID:
C4978
Disease ICD11 ID:
-
Disease OMIM ID:
114500
Species: Human
Species details: Homo sapiens
Tissue specimen:

CRC tissue samples; CRC tissues; adjacent normal tissues; tumor tissues; xenograft tumors

Cell lines:

HCT116; DLD1; NCM460

In vivo animal model:

cell line-derived xenograft

circRNA-disease information
Expression pattern:
UP
Associated gene: PUM1, ETS1, PTBP3, F. nucleatum
Associated microRNA: miR-760
Biological function: Enhances CRC cell proliferation, colony formation and tumor growth; knockdown suppresses proliferation and colony formation, induces apoptosis and causes G2/M cell cycle arrest; mediates F. nucleatum-driven CRC progression.
Molecular mechanism: F. nucleatum activates ETS1 to upregulate circPTBP3; circPTBP3 acts as a miR-760 sponge, derepressing PUM1 and promoting CRC progression.
Biological pathway or process:

ceRNA regulation (promotes); proliferation (promotes); apoptosis (inhibits); cell cycle (promotes); other pathway/process (promotes)

Detected method:
Q
S
Validation methods:

Back-Splice Junction PCR / divergent primers PCR; RNase R Treatment; Sanger Sequencing; circRNA-seq; RT-qPCR; FISH / smFISH; Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Fractionation; Clinical Sample Validation; Luciferase Reporter Assay; Transfection; CCK8; Colony Formation Assay; Annexin V/PI Flow Cytometry; Cell Cycle Assay; Western Blot; ChIP / ChIP-seq; In Vivo Animal Model; Bioinformatics Analysis

Clinical significance:

circPTBP3 expression positively correlates with F. nucleatum abundance, PUM1 expression, larger tumor sizes and advanced TNM stages, and negatively correlates with miR-760 levels; it may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in F. nucleatum-associated colorectal carcinogenesis.

Description:

circPTBP3/hsa_circ_0003458 is a human PTBP3-derived circRNA upregulated in F. nucleatum-associated colorectal cancer. It promotes CRC proliferation, colony formation and xenograft tumor growth by sponging miR-760 and increasing PUM1 expression, while its induction is mediated by the transcription factor ETS1. Clinically, higher circPTBP3 expression correlates with F. nucleatum abundance, larger tumor size and advanced TNM stage, supporting its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.

Confidence score:

0.8415

Other information
Title:

Fusobacterium nucleatum drives colorectal cancer progression through the circPTBP3/miR-760/PUM1 axis.

Journal: Oncogene
Published: 2026
PubMed ID: 41912775
Study type:

combined biological and clinical study

Data availability: Supplementary information available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-026-03746-4; datasets available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request
Code availability: -