MiRNA-545 negatively regulates the oncogenic activity of EMS1 in gastric cancer

LncRNA OIP5-AS1 Targets the miR-140-5p/UBR5 Cascade to Promote the Development of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor with the highest incidence among all kinds of malignant tumors in China. Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been reported to act as microRNA (miRNAs) sponges and thus play key roles in biological processes and pathogenesis. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the functional effects and the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA opa interacting protein 5-antisense 1 (OIP5-AS1) in gastric cancer cells. The expression of OIP5-AS1, miR-140-5p, Ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component n-recognin 5 (UBR5) was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed using Cell-Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), Flow cytometry, and Transwell assays. UBR5 protein level was detected by Western blot. Binding between miR-140-5p and OIP5-AS1 or UBR5 was predicted by Starbasev2.0 and TargetScan, and verified using Dual-luciferase reporter assays and RNA pull-down assay. A xenograft mice model was used to evaluate the effects of OIP5-AS1 on tumor growth in vivo. OIP5-AS1 was upregulated in GC cancer and cells. OIP5-AS1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, but induced cell apoptosis in GC. In mechanism, OIP5-AS1 might serve as a sponge for miR-140-5p to enhance UBR5 expression. Moreover, overexpression of miR-140-5p or UBR5 partly reversed the effects of OIP5-AS1 depletion on the progression of GC cells. Furthermore, OIP5-AS1 depletion also suppressed tumor growth in vivo. OIP5-AS1 silencing might suppress proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis in GC cells by regulating the miR-140-5p/UBR5 axis.

Circ-ZFR Promotes Progression of Bladder Cancer by Upregulating WNT5A Via Sponging miR-545 and miR-1270

Background

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers all over the world. CircZFR is a circular RNA and has been implicated in tumor generation and invasion. However, the exact role of circZFR in the development of bladder cancer (BCa) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the function of circZFR in BCa, and further to probe into the association between circ-ZFR, miR-545/miR-1270 and WNT5A.

Methods

The expression of circZFR in BCa was quantified by qRT-PCR and was positively correlated with the prognosis of BCa patients. Next, the stable knockdown of circZFR BCa cell lines was established and the resulting capacities of proliferation, migration and invasion were measured. The association of circZFR with miR-1270/miR-545 was predicted by circinteractome prediction, and was confirmed by luciferase assay as well as RNA pull down assay. Furthermore, miRNA inhibitors, WNT5A overexpression and Pearson correlation analysis were used to examine the relationship between circZFR, miR-1270/miR-545 and WNT5A.

Results

The expression of CircZFR was up-regulated both in BCa tissues and in BCa cell lines, and was positively correlated with patient survival rates. Blocking of circZFR's expression by RNA inhibitors suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of BCa cells both in vitro and in vivo. On the other hand, overexpression of target miRNA supported that circZFR directly interact with miR-545 and miR-1270. Moreover, we demonstrated that circZFR promotes the progression of BCa by upregulating WNT5A's expression via sponging miR-545 and miR-1270.

Conclusions

CircZFR promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of BCa cells by upregulating WNT5A signaling pathway via sponging miR-545 and miR-1270. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of circZFR in BCa progression, and more important, a novel target for BCa clinical treatment.

Hsa_circ_0003732 promotes osteosarcoma cells proliferation via miR-545/CCNA2 axis

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor with a high fatality rate. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of endogenous noncoding RNA that have been verified to participate in cancer pathophysiological processes. We aim to investigate the roles of circRNAs in osteosarcoma tumorigenesis. In the present study, we showed that hsa_circ_0003732 was up-regulated in OS tissues and elevated level of hsa_circ_0003732 was linked to poor prognosis of OS patients. Functional investigation indicated that hsa_circ_0003732 promoted proliferation of OS cells. Furthermore, we identified miR-545 as the hsa_circ_0003732-associated microRNA and CCNA2 was a direct target of miR-545. In addition, hsa_circ_0003732 could elevate CCNA2 expression via miR-545, resulting in the promotion of OS cells proliferation. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that hsa_circ_0003732 promotes OS cells proliferation via miR-545/CCNA2 axis and imply hsa_circ_0003732 may be a potential prognosis biomarker and therapeutic target for OS.

C-X-C motif chemokine 16, modulated by microRNA-545, aggravates myocardial damage and affects the inflammatory responses in myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Myocardial infarction (MI), a common type of coronary heart disease, is the major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Chemokine-mediated inflammatory cell infiltration and local inflammatory damage response are recent research hotspots. Hence, we attempted to examine the role of C-X-C motif chemokine 16 (CXCL16) as a potential candidate in MI.

METHODS

Human cardiomyocytes were treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) to establish an in vitro cell model. GEO database provided the clinical data of MI patients and GSEA verified the relationship of chemokine and MI. CCK-8 and flow cytometry analyses were used to measure cell viability and apoptosis. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to determine the correlation between CXCL16 and miR-545. qRT-PCR and western blot assays were performed to investigate the expression level of the indicated genes. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10 were explored using ELISA assay.

RESULTS

CXCL16 was increased in MI. CXCL16 knockdown can reverse the inhibitory effect of H/R treatment on cell viability, while overexpression of CXCL16 showed the opposite trend. MiR-545 directly targeted CXCL16 and negatively regulated CXCL16 levels. MiR-545 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in the MI cell model, which attenuated the CXCL16-induced injury on cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrated that CXCL16 aggravated MI damage through being directly targeted by miR-545 and mediating inflammatory responses, thereby providing potential therapeutic targets for MI therapy.

The knockdown of LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted apoptosis by regulating miR-545-3p/hepatoma-derived growth factor axis in lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common human cancers. Long noncoding RNA AFAP1-AS1 (LncRNA AFAP1-AS1) and microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p) were reported to play important roles in lung cancer development. This study aimed to elucidate the functional mechanisms of AFAP1-AS1 and miR-545-3p in lung cancer. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction was carried out to determine the levels of AFAP1-AS1, miR-545-3p and hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, flow cytometry, and transwell migration and invasion assays, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction between miR-545-3p and AFAP1-AS1 or HDGF was predicted by bioinformatics analysis software starbase and confirmed by the dual luciferase reporter assay. Western blot assay was used to detect the protein level of HDGF. Besides, murine xenograft model was conducted through injecting A549 cells transfected with sh-AFAP1-AS1. The expression levels of AFAP1-AS1 and HDGF were increased, while miR-545-3p was decreased in lung cancer tissues and cells. AFAP1-AS1 knockdown suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, AFAP1-AS1 mediated cell progression through regulating miR-545-3p expression. In addition, miR-545-3p negatively regulated the expression level of HDGF via binding 3'-untranslated region of HDGF. As expected, AFAP1-AS1 knockdown inhibited lung cancer progression via affecting miR-545-3p/HDGF axis. Besides, AFAP1-AS1 knockdown suppressed lung cancer tumor growth in vivo. Collectively, our results suggested that AFAP1-AS1 promoted the development of lung cancer via regulating miR-545-3p/HDGF axis, providing a potential target for the treatment of lung cancer.

Cortactin in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Cortactin, a member of the actin-binding protein family, plays an important role in cell movement involving the cytoskeleton, as cell movement mediated by cortactin may induce the epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Cortactin participates in tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion and other related disease processes by binding to different proteins and participating in different pathways and mechanisms that induce the occurrence of these disease processes. Therefore, this article reviews the correlations between cortactin, the actin cytoskeleton, and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and discusses its clinical importance in tumor therapy.

Long Noncoding RNASBF2-AS1 Promotes Gastric Cancer Progression via Regulating miR-545/EMS1 Axis

Objective

Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) SBF2-AS1 was reportedly to function as an oncogene in several types of cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, nonsmall cell lung cancer, glioma, and colorectal cancer. However, the biological roles and regulatory mechanisms of SBF2-AS1 in gastric cancer (GC) are unknown.

Methods

The expression of SBF2-AS1 and miR-545 were examined in GC tissues and cell lines via real-time quantitative PCR. The relationship of SBF2-AS1 with miR-545 was verified via dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. The influences of SBF2-AS1 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined using cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing, and transwell invasion assays, respectively.

Results

LncRNA SBF2-AS1 expression was upregulated in GC tissues, especially in advanced clinical stage cases. Moreover, increased SBF2-AS1 indicated a poor survival rate. Functionally, the downregulation of SBF2-AS1 by siRNA in GC cells suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion. In terms of mechanism, SBF2-AS1 can directly bind to miR-545 and regulate its expression. Moreover, SBF2-AS1 knockdown significantly decreased the expression of EMS1, which was the direct target of miR-545. Importantly, inhibition of miR-545 or overexpression of EMS1 partially reversed SBF2-AS1-depletion-caused suppression on proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Conclusion

These findings elucidated a crucial role of SBF2-AS1 as a miR-545 sponge in GC cells, suggesting that SBF2-AS1 might be a potential target for GC.

miR-545 promoted enterovirus 71 replication via directly targeting phosphatase and tensin homolog and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a small, nonenveloped icosahedral RNA virus and is the predominant causative pathogen of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) are reported to play important roles in the pathogenesis of EV71 replication. This study investigated the role of miR-545 in the EV71 replication and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. We showed that miR-545 was upregulated in the EV71-infected human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Overexpression of miR-545 promoted the viral replication of EV71 and attenuated the inhibitory effects of EV71 on cell viability in HEK293 and RD cells; while knockdown of miR-545 significantly suppressed the EV71 replication in these two cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-545 directly targeted the 3'untranslated region of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in HEK293 cells. Furthermore, miR-545 negatively regulated the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of PTEN and TRAF6. The mRNA and protein expression of PTEN and TRAF6 was also suppressed by EV71 infection, which was attenuated by miR-545 knockdown in HEK293 cells. Overexpression of PTEN and TRAF6 both suppressed the EV71 replication in HKE293 cells, and also attenuated the enhanced effects of miR-545 overexpression on the EV71 replication in HEK293 cells. Collectively, our study for the first time showed that miR-545 had an enhanced effect on the EV71 replication in HEK293 and RD cells. Further mechanistic results indicated that miR-545 promoted EV71 replication at least partly via targeting PTEN and TRAF6.

Incorporating molecular biomarkers into clinical practice for gastric cancer

Introduction: Gastric cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. To improve clinical outcomes, it is critical to develop appropriate approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Biomarkers have numerous potential clinical applications, including screening, assessing risk, determining prognosis, monitoring recurrence, and predicting response to treatment. Furthermore, biomarkers may contribute to the development of effective therapies. Areas covered: Here we review recent progress in exploiting GC-specific biomarkers such as protein-coding genes, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and methylated gene promoters. Expert opinion: The development of biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring gastric cancer and for individualizing therapeutic targets shows great promise for improving gastric cancer management.

MicroRNA-150-5p and SRC kinase signaling inhibitor 1 involvement in the pathological development of gastric cancer

The current study aimed to assess the regulatory mechanism of microRNA-150-5p (miR-150-5p) in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to verify the expression of miR-150-5p in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines, which was revealed to be highly expressed in each. In addition, the expression of miR-150-5p was associated with advanced gastric cancer and lymph node metastasis. The current study then hypothesized that SRC kinase signaling inhibitor 1 (SRCIN1) was the target gene of miR-150-5p, a theory that was confirmed via a dual luciferase reporter gene assay. RT-qPCR and western blotting were then performed to verify the expression of SRCIN1 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. The results demonstrated that SRCIN1 was lowly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and cells. To assess the effect of miR-150-5p on gastric cancer cells, experiments were conducted with BGC-823 cells transfected with a miR-150-5p inhibitor or a miR-150-5p inhibitor+SRCIN1-small interfering (si)RNA respectively. A cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were also used to assess cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were further used to measure the expression of specific markers of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), including epithelial cell markers (E-cadherin and zona occluding-1) and interstitial cell markers (vimentin, N-cadherin and β-catenin). The results revealed that the miR-150-5p inhibitor attenuated cell viability, induced apoptosis, decreased the expression of interstitial cell markers and increased epithelial cell marker expression. However, all effects of the miR-150-5p inhibitor were reversed following SRCIN1-siRNA treatment. In summary, the current study indicated that the miR-150-5p inhibitor attenuated cell viability, induced apoptosis and inhibited gastric cancer cell EMT by targeting SRCIN1.

Overexpressed circ_0067934 acts as an oncogene to facilitate cervical cancer progression via the miR-545/EIF3C axis

Circular RNAs were recently identified as a novel type of noncoding RNAs. An increasing number of reports have demonstrated their essential regulatory roles in various biological processes and human diseases, including cancer. However, the role of circRNA in cervical cancer (CC) remains largely unknown. In the current study, we investigated the physiological functions of circ_0067934 during CC development and progression. We found that circ_0067934 was overexpressed in CC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0067934 upregulation was associated with advanced stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis in CC patients. Knockdown of circ_0067934 suppressed the proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of CC cells in vitro. Circ_0067934 loss also inhibited CC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, silencing circ_0067934 increased miR-545 expression. MiR-545 repressed EIF3C expression through targeting its 3'-untranslated region. MiR-545 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells, whereas restoration of EIF3C could rescue the effects of circ_0067934 knockdown. Taken together, our findings revealed that circ_0067934 promotes CC progression via miR-545/EIF3C axis. Our study may provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of CC.

MiRNA-545 negatively regulates the oncogenic activity of EMS1 in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system. In addition, GC metastasis is an extremely complicated process. In this article, high expression levels of EMS1 mRNA and protein were found to be positively correlated with an enhanced malignant potential of GC cells and a poor clinical prognosis of GC patients. Interestingly, the expression levels of EMS1 mRNA and protein in GC cells were inhibited by microRNA-545 (miR-545), which was identified by a bioinformatics analysis. The expression level of miR-545 in carcinoma tissues was significantly lower than that in para-carcinoma tissues. The proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of GC cells were suppressed by exogenous oligonucleotides of miR-545 mimics. In addition, the expression levels of EMT-associated markers were altered with the expression of miR-545. Notably, the growth rates of tumors in nude mice were seriously restrained by an intratumoral injection of oligonucleotides of the miR-545 mimics. These results suggest a negative regulatory role of miR-545 on the oncogenic activity of EMS1. In addition, EMS1 and miR-545 may be potential biomarkers for GC diagnosis. Synthesized oligonucleotides of miR-545 mimics may be developed as important gene medicines for GC therapy in the future.