miR-193a-3p Promotes Radio-Resistance of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Cells by Targeting SRSF2 Gene and Hypoxia Signaling Pathway

Med Sci Monit Basic Res. 2019 Feb 18:25:53-62. doi: 10.12659/MSMBR.914572.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Radio-resistance is an important barrier in nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment. MicroRNAs are gene expression core regulators in various biological procedures containing cancer radio-resistance. Nevertheless, the clinical association between nasopharyngeal carcinoma and miR-193a-3p/SRSF2 remains unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined the miR-193a-3p level in radio-sensitive CNE-2 and radio-resistant CNE-1 NPC cell lines, and, based on a literature review, predicted SRSF2 to be the target gene of miR-193a-3p. We explored the expression of SRSF2 at protein and mRNA levels by transfecting either miR-193a-3p-mimic or antagomiR. Finally, we performed signaling pathway analysis to assess the possible role of miR-193a-3p/SRSF2 in signaling pathways. RESULTS miR-193a-3p promotes NPC radio-resistance, and the SRSF2 gene is the direct target for miR-193a-3p in NPC, and thus is negatively correlated with NPC radio-resistance. The hypoxia signaling pathway activity is strongly affected, and it is possible to use the downstream activity of the SRSF2 gene to show the effect of miR-193a-3p on radio-resistance in NPC cells. CONCLUSIONS miR-193a-3p mediates promotion of NPC radio-resistance.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Gene Targeting
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • MicroRNAs / physiology
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Radiation Tolerance / genetics*
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / genetics
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • MIRN193 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • SRSF2 protein, human
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors