title: MicroRNA alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: MicroRNAs (mirs) are small noncoding RNA molecules (~22 nucleotides) that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression. Currently, there has not been a comprehensive study of their role in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To determine the role of mirs in HNSCC, we screened for altered microRNA expression in HNSCC primary tissue and cell lines. We then further tested the functional impact of alterations of specific mirs. An initial screening of 4 primary HNSCC, 4 normal mucosal controls and 4 HNSCC cell lines was analyzed for mature microRNA expression by microarray. Significance was determined using significance analysis of microarrays (SAM). Nine microRNAs were found by SAM to be upregulated or downregulated in tumor tissue including mir-21, let-7, 18, 29c, 142-3p, 155, 146b (overexpressed) and 494 (underexpressed). Mir-21 was validated by qRT-PCR. Functional validation by growth assays was performed, further validating mir-21. Transfection of mir-21 into JHU-011 and JHU-012 cell lines showed a 39% increase in cell growth at 72 hr relative to controls (p < 0.05). Transfection of the inhibitor into JHU-O12 cell lines showed a 92% decrease in cell growth relative to controls at 72 hr (p < 0.05). In addition, flow cytometry analysis of JHU-012 cells 48 hr after mir-21 inhibitor transfection showed a statistically significant increase in cytochrome c release and increased apoptosis. These differentially expressed microRNAs may be of interest as potential novel oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in HNSCC. Mir-21 is a putative oncogenic microRNA in head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287-0910, USA.
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wei Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Luana M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Poeta
authors.forename: Shahnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Begum
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glazer
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Westra
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sidransky
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Califano
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000235:genetics*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D045304:Cytochromes c; C403126:MYLIP protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
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