miR-15b and miR-16 modulate multidrug resistance by targeting BCL2 in human gastric cancer cells.
microRNAs are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression negatively at posttranscriptional level. This latest addition to the complex gene regulatory circuitry revolutionizes our way to understanding physiological and pathological processes in the human body. Here we investigated the possible role of microRNAs in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in gastric cancer cells. microRNA expression profiling revealed a limited set of microRNAs with altered expression in multidrug- resistant gastric cancer cell line SGC7901/VCR compared to its parental SGC7901 cell line. Among the downregulated microRNAs are miR-15b and miR-16, members of miR-15/16 family, whose expression was further validated by qRT-PCR. In vitro drug sensitivity assay demonstrated that overexpression of miR-15b or miR-16 sensitized SGC7901/VCR cells to anticancer drugs whereas inhibition of them using antisense oligonucleotides conferred SGC7901 cells MDR. The downregulation of miR-15b and miR-16 in SGC7901/VCR cells was concurrent with the upregulation of Bcl-2 protein. Enforced mir-15b or miR-16 expression reduced Bcl-2 protein level and the luciferase activity of a BCL2 3' untranslated region-based reporter construct in SGC7901/VCR cells, suggesting that BCL2 is a direct target of miR-15b and miR-16. Moreover, overexpression of miR-15b or miR-16 could sensitize SGC7901/VCR cells to VCR-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our findings suggest that miR-15b and miR-16 could play a role in the development of MDR in gastric cancer cells at least in part by modulation of apoptosis via targeting BCL2.
Xia
Lin
L
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Zhang
Dexin
D
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Du
Rui
R
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Pan
Yanglin
Y
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Zhao
Lina
L
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Sun
Shiren
S
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Hong
Liu
L
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Liu
Jie
J
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Fan
Daiming
D
State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014750:Vincristine / Q000494:pharmacology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C505361:MIRN15 microRNA, human; C505362:MIRN16 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016685:Mitomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil