MiR-543 Promotes Proliferation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Prostate Cancer via Targeting RKIP

Morphine contributed to the deterioration of cancer via miR-543/MARCKS/FcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway

OBJECTIVES

It has been confirmed that morphine was detrimental to patients with cancers. Hence, we aimed to reveal a certain mechanism of morphine in cancer development.

METHODS

Microarray and GSEA analysis were utilized to seek for differently expressed genes and pathway.

KEY FINDINGS

Bioinformatics analysis identified that downregulation of MARCKS and upregulation of miR-543 in samples treated with morphine. FcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway was illustrated to be upregulated in the control. PANC-1 and DU145 cell viability was increased but apoptosis was declined as morphine concentration went up from 10^-8 to 10^-6  mol/l. On the other curve, the viability was reduced and apoptosis was elevated from 10^-6 to 10^-5  mol/l. The expression of miR-543 ran the same trend as cell viability. Assays in vivo and in vitro validated that miR-543 facilitated cell viability, tumour growth, levels of CA199 and PSA, whereas inhibited apoptosis. MARCKS could target and inhibit miR-543 expression, which exhibited an opposite effect on cancer progression. MiR-543 blocked but MARCKS activated FcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Morphine at 10^-6  mol/l could benefit miR-543 expression to inhibit MARCKS expression, consequently, blocking FcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway, which contributed to the cancer progression in vitro and in vivo.

miR‑543 acts as a novel oncogene in oral squamous cell carcinoma by targeting CYP3A5

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that can act as oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes in human cancer. Previous studies have revealed that abnormal expression of miRNAs is closely associated with tumor cell cycle, differentiation, growth and apoptosis. miR-543 is expressed abnormally in a wide variety of cancers and has been associated with cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion; however, the effect of miR-543 remains unknown in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study, the expression level of miR-543 in OSCC cell lines and tissues was investigated by RT-qPCR. A series of experiments was then performed to elucidate the functions of miR-543 in OSCC, such as CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, cell cycle distribution assay and cell apoptosis assay and Transwell assay. miR-543 expression was significantly upregulated in tumors from patients with OSCC and in OSCC cell lines. Overexpression of miR-543 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cell lines, and inhibited cell apoptosis. In addition, the present study identified cytochrome P450 family 3 subfamily A member 5 (CYP3A5) as a direct target of miR-543 using software analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that miR-543 acts as a tumor promoter and serves a vital role in OSCC proliferation and invasion. These results confirm that miR-543 may serve as a potential novel target for the treatment of OSCC.

HIF1α-mediated AIMP3 suppression delays stem cell aging via the induction of autophagy

Senescence in stem cells, which occurs as a consequence of chronic responses to the environment, defines the capacity of stem cells for proliferation and differentiation as well as their potential for tissue regeneration and homeostasis maintenance. Although stem cells reside under low oxygen pressure and the availability of oxygen is known to be a crucial determinant in their fate, the key modulators in stem cell aging and the underlying mechanism have yet to be unraveled. Human placenta‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hpMSCs) were cultured under hypoxia (3% O₂) or normoxia (21% O₂) to investigate the key factors that regulate stem cell senescence under hypoxic conditions. RNA sequencing results suggested that the expression of aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase‐interacting multifunctional protein 3 (AIMP3, EEF1E1), an aging inducer, in the hpMSCs was dramatically repressed under hypoxia with concurrent suppression of the aging marker p16^INK4a. The hpMSCs that overexpressed AIMP3 under hypoxic conditions displayed significantly decreased proliferation and fewer stem cell characteristics, whereas the downregulation of AIMP3 ameliorated the age‐related senescence of MSCs. Consistent with the results of the hpMSCs, MSCs isolated from the adipose tissue of AIMP3‐overexpressing mice exhibited decreased stem cell functions. Interestingly, AIMP3‐induced senescence is negatively regulated by hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and positively regulated by Notch3. Furthermore, we showed that AIMP3 enhanced mitochondrial respiration and suppressed autophagic activity, indicating that the AIMP3‐associated modulation of metabolism and autophagy is a key mechanism in the senescence of stem cells and further suggesting a novel target for interventions against aging.

Dysregulation of ncRNAs located at the DLK1‑DIO3 imprinted domain: involvement in urological cancers

Genomic imprinting has been found to be involved in human physical development and several diseases. The DLK1-DIO3 imprinted domain is located on human chromosome 14 and contains paternally expressed protein-coding genes (DLK1, RTL1, DIO3) and numerous maternally expressed ncRNA genes (MEG3, MEG8, antisense RTL1, miRNAs, piRNAs, and snoRNAs). Emerging evidence has implicated that dysregulation of the DLK1-DIO3 imprinted domain especially the imprinted ncRNAs is critical for tumor progressions. Multiple miRNAs and lncRNAs have been investigated in urological cancers, of which several are transcribed from this domain. In this review, we present current data about the associated miRNAs, lncRNAs, and piRNAs and the regulation of differentially methylated regions methylation status in the progression of urological cancers and preliminarily propose certain concepts about the potential regulatory networks involved in DLK1-DIO3 imprinted domain.

miR-410 acts as an oncogene in colorectal cancer cells by targeting dickkopf-related protein 1 via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have been demonstrated to be critical post-transcriptional regulators in tumorigenesis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-410 on the proliferation and metastasis of CRC. The expression of miR-410 was examined in CRC cell lines. SW-480 and HCT-116 CRC cell lines were employed and transfected with miR-410 inhibitor or miR-410 mimics. The association between miR-410 and dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1) was verified by luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assay. Cell migration and invasion capacity were determined by Transwell assay. The protein level of DKK1, β-catenin and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β (pGSK-3β) were analyzed by western blotting. miR-410 was revealed to be upregulated in CRC cell lines. Further studies identified DKK-1 as a direct target of miR-410. In addition, knockdown of miR-410 promoted the expression of DKK, inhibited CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion capacity, and induced cell apoptosis, while overexpression of miR-410 reversed these results. miR-410 silencing also decreased β-catenin and pGSK-3β levels. The current study indicated that miR-410 negatively regulates the expression of DKK-1 in vitro. miR-410 promotes malignancy phenotypes in CRC cell lines. This regulatory effect of miR-410 may be associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, miR-410 could be used as a biomarker for predicting the progression of CRC.

MiR-543 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma by targeting Dickkopf 1 through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be critical post-transcriptional regulators in tumorigenesis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-543 on the proliferation and metastasis of RCC. Material and Methods: The expression of miR-543 was examined in clinical samples and RCC cell lines. A498 and 786-O cell lines were employed and transfected with miR-543 inhibitor or miR-543 mimics. The correlation between miR-543 and DKK-1 was determined by luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability and cell cycle were determined by CCK8 and flow cytometry assay. Cell migration and invasion capacity were examined by transwell assay. The protein level of DKK1, β-catenin and pGSK-3β were analyzed by western blotting. Results: miR-543 was found to be up-regulated in RCC cell lines. Further studies identified DKK-1 as a direct target of miR-543. Moreover, miR-543 overexpression suppressed the expression of DKK-1, and promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion capacity, while knockdown of miR-543 abrogated above results. MiR-543 knockdown also decreased β-catenin and pGSK-3β levels. In vivo assay verified that miR-543 acts as an oncogene through the regulation of DKK-1 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study indicated that miR-543 negatively regulate the expression of DKK-1 in vitro. MiR-543 promotes malignancy phenotypes of RCC both in vitro and in vivo. This regulatory effect of miR-543 may be associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, miR-543 could be used as a biomarker for predicting the progression of RCC.

Targeting Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein Regulation and Function

Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP) is a highly conserved kinase inhibitor that functions as a metastasis suppressor in a variety of cancers. Since RKIP can reprogram tumor cells to a non-metastatic state by rewiring kinase networks, elucidating the mechanism by which RKIP acts not only reveals molecular mechanisms that regulate metastasis, but also represents an opportunity to target these signaling networks therapeutically. Although RKIP is often lost during metastatic progression, the mechanism by which this occurs in tumor cells is complex and not well understood. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of RKIP regulation in tumors and consider experimental and computational strategies for recovering or mimicking its function by targeting mediators of metastasis.

RKIP: A Key Regulator in Tumor Metastasis Initiation and Resistance to Apoptosis: Therapeutic Targeting and Impact

RAF-kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) is a well-established tumor suppressor that is frequently downregulated in a plethora of solid and hematological malignancies. RKIP exerts antimetastatic and pro-apoptotic properties in cancer cells, via modulation of signaling pathways and gene products involved in tumor survival and spread. Here we review the contribution of RKIP in the regulation of early metastatic steps such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion, as well as in tumor sensitivity to conventional therapeutics and immuno-mediated cytotoxicity. We further provide updated justification for targeting RKIP as a strategy to overcome tumor chemo/immuno-resistance and suppress metastasis, through the use of agents able to modulate RKIP expression in cancer cells.

miRNA-543 promotes cell migration and invasion by targeting SPOP in gastric cancer

Background/purpose

Given the emerging role of microRNA (miRNA) in cancer progression, we investigated the role and mechanism of miRNA-543 (miR-543) in gastric cancer (GC).

Materials and methods

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was conducted to quantify the expression of miR-543. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the association between speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) and 3′-UTR. Moreover, the role of miR-543 and SPOP in GC was detected using transwell assays. In addition, we investigated the function of miR-543 in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression.

Results

miR-543 was upregulated in GC. We identified SPOP as a direct target of miR-543, revealing its expression to be inversely correlated with miR-543 expression in GC tissues. Moreover, restoration of SPOP could inhibit miR-543-induced GC cell migration and invasion, whereas downregulation of miR-543 inhibited cell migration and invasion, which was partly abrogated by SPOP knockdown. Furthermore, our data also showed that miR-543 induced EMT of GC cells.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that miR-543 functions as a crucial oncogenic miRNA in GC. It exerts strong tumor-promoting effects through targeting SPOP in GC cell migration and invasion.

MicroRNA-543 functions as an osteogenesis promoter in human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells by inhibiting transducer of ERBB2, 2

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Previous research has indicated that altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is in connection with osteogenesis of human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells (hPDLSCs). We investigated the mechanisms by which miR-543 promotes osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

First, the expression of miR-543 in hPDLSCs cultured with or without an osteogenic inductive cocktail was explored. Then, the function of miR-543 during osteogenesis of hPDLSCs was investigated by overexpressing and inhibiting miR-543. Next, 3 databases were used to predict target genes of miR-543 and a luciferase report was used to validate the direct regulation of miR-543 on the target gene. Further, a rescue experiment using co-transfection of miR-543 mimic and target mimic was performed to evaluate whether overexpressing the target gene could partly rescue the efficiency of overexpressing miR-543 on osteogenesis in hPDLSCs.

RESULTS

miR-543 was upregulated during osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs. Functional experiments showed that overexpressing miR-543 could enhance osteogenesis, while inhibiting miR-543 resulted in reduced formation of mineralized nodules. The transducer of ERBB2, 2 (TOB2) was identified as a target gene of miR-543 and luciferase report revealed that miR-543 interacts directly with the 3'-untranslated repeat sequence of TOB2 mRNA. Overexpression of miR-543 inhibited the expression of TOB2 in both mRNA and protein levels while inhibiting miR-543 increased. Furthermore, the rescue experiment confirmed the promotional role of miR-543 TOB2 expression could be abrogated by overexpressing TOB2, which also had the effect of reducing osteogenic differentiation.

CONCLUSION

Our research confirmed that miR-543 is a promoter of osteogenesis in hPDLSCs, acting by inhibiting its target gene TOB2, which suggests that miR-543 may be a potential therapy for bone loss in periodontitis.

MiR-33 promotes myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting MMP16 and stimulating p38 MAPK signaling

Myocardial fibrosis occurs in the late stages of many cardiovascular diseases, and appears to be stimulated by various microRNAs (miRNAs). We previously found that miR-33 may stimulate cardiac remodeling. Here, we examined the involvement of miR-33 in myocardial fibrosis. Proximal left coronary descending artery occlusion was performed in rat, and antagomiR-33a was injected. Primary cardiac fibroblasts were cultured and transfected with miR-33a mimics and inhibitors. miR-33a levels were increased in the rat after surgery, and collagen deposition and heart fibrosis were observed in vivo. Inhibition of miR-33a suppressed fibroblast proliferation, reduced the mRNA and protein levels of collagen-related markers in vitro and in vivo, and rescued the histological damage in vivo. A dual-luciferase reporter system showed that matrix metalloproteinase 16 (MMP16) gene was the direct target of MiR-33a. These results suggest that miR-33 promoted myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting MMP16 and stimulating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway. MiR-33 may act as a novel therapeutic target for treating myocardial fibrosis.

MicroRNA-543 promotes the proliferation and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells by targeting Krüppel-like factor 6

MicroRNA-543 (miR-543) has been suggested as an important regulator of the development and progression of various cancer types. However, the role and biological function of miR-543 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. Here, we found that miR-543 expression was significantly increased in tumor tissues from ccRCC patients and ccRCC cell lines. We found that overexpression of miR-543 markedly promoted the proliferation and invasion of ccRCC cells, whereas suppression of miR-543 had the opposite effects. Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) was identified as a target gene of miR-543. Furthermore, we found that miR-543 negatively regulates the expression of KLF6 and p21 in ccRCC cells. Overexpression of KLF6 markedly attenuated the oncogenic effect of miR-543 overexpression. Moreover, knockdown of KLF6 significantly reversed the antitumor effect of miR-543 inhibition. Overall, our results demonstrate that miR-543 promotes the proliferation and invasion of ccRCC cells by targeting KLF6 and suggest that miR-543 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of ccRCC.

Implications of microRNA dysregulation in the development of prostate cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs that target mRNA to reduce protein expression. They play fundamental roles in several diseases, including prostate cancer (PCa). A single miRNA can target hundreds of mRNAs and coordinately regulate them, which implicates them in nearly every biological pathway. Hence, miRNAs modulate proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis, most of them constituting crucial hallmarks of cancer. Due to these properties, miRNAs emerged as promising tools for diagnostic, prognosis and management of cancer patients. Moreover, they come out as potential targets for cancer treatment, and several efforts are being made to progress in the field of miRNA-based cancer therapy. In this review, we will summarize the recent information about miRNAs in PCa. We will recapitulate all the miRNAs involved in the androgen pathway and the biology of PCa, focusing in PCa initiation and progression. In particular, we will describe the miRNAs associated with cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis in PCa, as well as invasion, adhesion and metastatic miRNAs. We will revise the recent progress made understanding the role of circulating miRNAs identified in PCa that might be useful for PCa patient stratification. Another key aspect to be discussed in this review is miRNAs’ role in PCa therapy, including the miRNAs delivery.

Circulating microRNA-34 family low expression correlates with poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Background

To evaluate the association of plasma miR-34a/b/c expressions with the clinicopathological properties and the prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods

A total of 196 NSCLC patients were recruited in the study. Plasma sample and tumor tissue sample were collected. Total RNA was extracted from plasma and tissue samples, and microR-34a/b/c expression was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

MiR-34a and miR-34c in plasma were positively associated with that in tumor tissue (P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). Plasma miR-34a expression was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.002), also tissue miR-34a expression was negatively associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.018). Furthermore, plasma miR-34a high expression was correlated with prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.011) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.011) compared to low expression, and plasma miR-34c high expression could predict longer DFS (P=0.038) than low expression, while no correlation of plasma miR-34b with DFS and OS was discovered. In terms of tissue sample, worse DFS was associated with miR-34a (P=0.002) and miR-34c (P=0.032) low expressions compared with high expressions, and miR-34a (P<0.001), as well as miR-34c (P=0.003) high expressions were associated with longer OS than low expressions. Plasma miR-34a was correlated with prolonged DFS and OS in univariate Cox model, while it could not independently predict DFS and OS of NSCLC patients in multivariate Cox model.

Conclusions

In conclusion, circulating miR-34a and miR-34c might be served as novel prognostic biomarkers in NSCLC patients.

Targeting epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer: clinical and preclinical advances in therapy and monitoring

The concept of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP), which describes the dynamic flux within the spectrum of phenotypic states that invasive carcinoma cells may reside, is being increasingly recognised for its role in cancer progression and therapy resistance. The myriad of events that are able to induce EMP, as well as the more recently characterised control loops, results in dynamic transitions of cancerous epithelial cells to more mesenchymal-like phenotypes through an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as the reverse transition from mesenchymal phenotypes to an epithelial one. The significance of EMP, in its ability to drive local invasion, generate cancer stem cells and facilitate metastasis by the dissemination of circulating tumour cells (CTCs), highlights its importance as a targetable programme to combat cancer morbidity and mortality. The focus of this review is to consolidate the existing knowledge on the strategies currently in development to combat cancer progression via inhibition of specific facets of EMP. The prevalence of relapse due to therapy resistance and metastatic propensity that EMP endows should be considered when designing therapy regimes, and such therapies should synergise with existing chemotherapeutics to benefit efficacy. To further improve upon EMP-targeted therapies, it is imperative to devise monitoring strategies to assess the impact of such treatments on EMP-related phenomenon such as CTC burden, chemosensitivity/-resistance and micrometastasis in patients.

miR-543 promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and metastasis by targeting KLF4

Till now, miR-543 expression has been demonstrated to be involved in the development of some cancers. However, reports about its expression and mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) were conflicting [1, 2]. Here, we investigated clinical implications of miR-543 and mechanisms underlying miR-543-mediated CRC development. In this study, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) validated miR-543 was highly expressed in CRC samples and cell lines. MiR-543 was closely associated with tumor size, TNM stage and metastasis. In addition, survival analysis showed that high miR-543 expression was obviously correlated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival. Mechanically, downregulation of miR-543 by miR-543 inhibitor obviously repressed cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, affected migration and invasion. Moreover, luciferase reporter analysis identified that Krüppel-like Factor-4 (KLF4) was a direct target of miR-543, and there was an obvious inverse correlation between miR-543 and KLF4 expression in CRC tissues. Furthermore, KLF4 down-regulation favors miR-543-induced oncogenic effect on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, this study indicated that miR-543 facilitates colorectal cancer proliferation and metastasis by targeting KLF4, and miR-543 may serve as a promising target for the treatment of CRC patients.