microRNA-141 is involved in a nasopharyngeal carcinoma-related genes network.
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs and have been implicated in the pathology of various diseases, including cancer. Here we report that the miRNA profiles have been changed after knockdown of one of the most important oncogene c-MYC or re-expression of a candidate tumor suppressor gene SPLUNC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. Both c-MYC knockdown and SPLUNC1 re-expression can down-regulate microRNA-141 (miR-141). miR-141 is up-regulated in NPC specimens in comparison with normal nasopharyngeal epithelium. Inhibition of miR-141 could affect cell cycle, apoptosis, cell growth, migration and invasion in NPC cells. We found that BRD3, UBAP1 and PTEN are potential targets of miR-141, which had been confirmed following luciferase reporter assays and western blotting. BRD3 and UBAP1 are both involved in NPC carcinogenesis as confirmed through our previous studies and PTEN is a crucial tumor suppressor in many tumor types. BRD3 is involved in the regulation of the Rb/E2F pathway. Inhibition of miR-141 could affect some important molecules in the Rb/E2F, JNK2 and AKT pathways. It is well known that carcinogenesis of NPC is involved in the networks of genetic and epigenetic alteration events. We propose that miR-141- and tumor-related genes c-MYC, SPLUNC1, BRD3, UBAP1 and PTEN may constitute a gene-miRNA network to contribute to NPC development.
Zhang
Liming
L
Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China.
Deng
Tan
T
Li
Xiayu
X
Liu
Huaying
H
Zhou
Houde
H
Ma
Jian
J
Wu
Minghua
M
Zhou
Ming
M
Shen
Shourong
S
Li
Xiaoling
X
Niu
Zhaoxia
Z
Zhang
Wenling
W
Shi
Lei
L
Xiang
Bo
B
Lu
Jianhong
J
Wang
Li
L
Li
Dan
D
Tang
Hailin
H
Li
Guiyuan
G
D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009857:Oncogenes; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000502:physiology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000502:physiology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000092468:Bromodomain Containing Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C485599:BPIFA1 protein, human; C109106:BRD3 protein, human; D000092468:Bromodomain Containing Proteins; C533895:MIRN141 microRNA, human; C489427:MYC protein, human; C469867:UBAP1 protein, human; C494929:PTEN protein, human