miR-122 targets an anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl-w, in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines.
miR-122, a hepato-specific microRNA (miRNA), is frequently down-regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In an effort to identify novel miR-122 targets, we performed an in silico analysis and detected a putative binding site in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Bcl-w, an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member. In the HCC-derived cell lines, Hep3B and HepG2, we confirmed that miR-122 modulates Bcl-w expression by directly targeting binding site within the 3'-UTR. The cellular mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-w were repressed by elevated levels of miR-122, which subsequently led to reduction of cell viability and activation of caspase-3. Thus, Bcl-w is a direct target of miR-122 that functions as an endogenous apoptosis regulator in these HCC-derived cell lines.
Lin
Cliff Ji-Fan
CJ
Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Gong
Hong-Yi
HY
Tseng
Hung-Chia
HC
Wang
Wei-Lun
WL
Wu
Jen-Leih
JL
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491073:BCL2L2 protein, human; C531907:MIRN122 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D053148:Caspase 3