Long Noncoding RNA MEG3 Suppresses Glioma Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by Acting as a Competing Endogenous RNA of miR-19a

Oncol Res. 2017 Nov 2;25(9):1471-1478. doi: 10.3727/096504017X14886689179993. Epub 2017 Mar 8.

Abstract

Glioma, with varying malignancy grades and histological subtypes, is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts and have been proven to play an important role in tumorigenesis. Our study aims to elucidate the combined effect of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) and microRNA-19a (miR-19a) in human glioma U87 and U251 cell lines. Real-time PCR revealed that MEG3 was downregulated and miR-19a was upregulated in malignant glioma tissues and cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses (TargetScan, miRanda, and starBase V2.0) showed that phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a target of miR-19a with complementary binding sites in the 3'-UTR. As expected, luciferase results verified the putative target site and also revealed the complementary binding between miR-19a and MEG3. miR-19a represses the expression of PTEN and promotes glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, MEG3 could directly bind to miR-19a and effectively act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-19a to suppress tumorigenesis. Our study is the first to demonstrate that lncRNA MEG3 suppresses glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by acting as a ceRNA of miR-19a, which provides a novel insight about the pathogenesis of glioma.

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Down-Regulation
  • Glioma / genetics*
  • Glioma / metabolism
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / biosynthesis*
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / biosynthesis*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • Transfection

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • MEG3 non-coding RNA, human
  • MIRN19 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human