microRNA-181a enhances cell proliferation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia by targeting EGR1

Leuk Res. 2015 Apr;39(4):479-85. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2015.01.010. Epub 2015 Jan 28.

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is an aggressive cancer that occurs in both children and adults. Starting from an integrated analysis of miRNA/mRNA expression profiles in 20 ALL patients, we identify a negative correlation between miR-181a and EGR1. Coherently, miR-181a over-expression in Jurkat T-ALL cells decreases EGR1 expression, increasing cell proliferation and enhancing the cell-cycle progression from G1 to S phase. We show that EGR1 is a new direct target of miR-181a. Our findings suggest that miR-181a behaves as an onco-miRNA in ALL by down-regulating EGR1.

Keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); Cell cycle; Cell proliferation; EGR1; miR-181a; onco-miRNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Early Growth Response Protein 1 / genetics
  • Early Growth Response Protein 1 / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / metabolism
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • EGR1 protein, human
  • Early Growth Response Protein 1
  • MIrn181 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Messenger