MicroRNA-142-3p and microRNA-142-5p are downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and exhibit synergistic effects on cell motility

Front Med. 2015 Sep;9(3):331-43. doi: 10.1007/s11684-015-0409-8. Epub 2015 Aug 19.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), an important class of small non-coding RNAs, regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. miRNAs are involved in a wide range of biological processes and implicated in different diseases, including cancers. In this study, miRNA profiling and qRT-PCR validation revealed that miR-142-3p and miR-142-5p were significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their expression levels decreased as the disease progressed. The ectopic expression of miR-142 significantly reduced HCC cell migration and invasion. Overexpression of either miR-142-3p or miR-142-5p suppressed HCC cell migration, and overexpression of both synergistically inhibited cell migration, which indicated that miR-142-3p and miR-142-5p may cooperatively regulate cell movement. miR-142-3p and miR-142-5p, which are mature miRNAs derived from the 3'- and 5'-strands of the precursor miR-142, target distinct pools of genes because of their different seed sequences. Pathway enrichment analysis showed a strong association of the putative gene targets of miR-142-3p and miR-142-5p with several cell motility-associated pathways, including those regulating actin cytoskeleton, adherens junctions, and focal adhesion. Importantly, a number of the putative gene targets were also significantly upregulated in human HCC cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-142 significantly abrogated stress fiber formation in HCC cells and led to cell shrinkage. This study shows that mature miR-142 pairs collaboratively regulate different components of distinct signaling cascades and therefore affects the motility of HCC cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*

Substances

  • MicroRNAs