title: MicroRNA-203 inhibits cell proliferation by repressing ΔNp63 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was performed to investigate the effect of microRNA-203 (miR-203) and ΔNp63 on cell proliferation and the functional connection between miR-203 and ΔNp63 in ESCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed 2 human ESCC cell lines, Eca109 and TE-1, as the model system. The effect of miR-203 and ΔNp63 on cell proliferation was determined in cells transfected with miR-203 mimic and ΔNp63 small interfering RNA (siRNA), respectively. The regulation of ΔNp63 expression in ESCC cells by miR-203 was studied by luciferase reporter assay, RT-PCR and western blot analysis in cells transfected with miR-203. The effect of ΔNp63 re-expression on miR-203 induced inhibition of cell proliferation was studied by cell proliferation assay in cells cotransfected with miR-203 and pcDNA-ΔNp63 plasmid (without the 3'-UTR of ΔNp63).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that both miR-203 and ΔNp63 siRNA signicantly inhibited cell proliferation in ESCC. MiR-203 could down-regulate endogenous ΔNp63 expression at the posttranscriptional level. Moreover, re-expression of ΔNp63 in cells transfected with miR-203 significantly attenuated the miR-203 induced inhibition of cell proliferation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data implied that miR-203 could inhibit cell proliferation in human ESCC through ΔNp63-mediated signal pathway. Therefore, we propose that miR-203 might be used as a therapeutic agent for human ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: De-Jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: He-Zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Sheng-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C546703:MIRN203 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C115051:TP63 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D008156:Luciferases