title: MicroRNA-21 down-regulates the expression of tumor suppressor PDCD4 in human glioblastoma cell T98G.
abstract: MicroRNAs have been linked to different cancer-related processes. The microRNA miR-21 appears to function as an anti-apoptosis factor in glioblastomas. However, the functional target genes of miR-21 are largely unknown in glioblastomas. In this study, bioinformatics analysis was used to identify miR-21 target sites in various genes. Luciferase activity assay showed that a number of genes involved in apoptosis, PDCD4, MTAP, and SOX5, carry putative miR-21 binding sites. Expression of PDCD4 protein correlates inversely with expression of miR-21 in a number of human glioblastoma cell lines such as T98G, A172, U87, and U251. Inhibition of miR-21 increases endogenous levels of PDCD4 in cell line T98G and over-expression miR-21 inhibits PDCD4-dependent apoptosis. Together, these results indicate that miR-21 expression plays a key role in regulating cellular processes in glioblastomas and may serve as a target for effective therapies.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xingqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Boqin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qiang
authors.forename: Jiangang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Maosheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiaozhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017931:DNA Primers; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D035683:MicroRNAs; C114487:PDCD4 protein, human; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins