title: Overexpressed miR-301a promotes cell proliferation and invasion by targeting RUNX3 in gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs can promote or suppress the evolution of malignant behaviors by regulating multiple targets. We aimed to determine the expression of miR-301a recently screened in gastric cancer, to investigate the biological effects of miR-301a and to identify the specific miR-301a target gene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to test miR-301a expression. Functional effects were explored by a water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay, a colony formation assay in soft agar, a migration assay, an invasion assay and cytometry used to determine apoptosis and cell cycle. Nude mice were inoculated subcutaneously by retrovirus-mediated stably expressed SGC-7901 cells. The target gene was determined by bioinformatic algorithms, dual luciferase reporter assay and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Firstly, we found that miR-301a was significantly upregulated both in cells and tissues of gastric cancer. The expression level of miR-301a was inversely correlated with tumor differentiation of gastric cancer tissues. Secondly, miR-301a promoted cell growth, soft agar clonogenicity, migration, invasion, and decreased cell apoptosis induced by cisplatin in vitro, while blockage of miR-301a reduced the percentage of G2/M phase cells via flow cytometry in gastric cancer cells. Ectopic expression of miR-301a enhanced the subcutaneous tumorigenesis in vivo. Finally, miR-301a directly downregulated RUNX3 expression post-transcriptionally in gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that miR-301a plays important roles in the development of gastric cancer.
authors: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Department of Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 197# Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Wang
authors: Chenglong
authors: C
authors: Li
authors: Beiqin
authors: B
authors: Yu
authors: Liping
authors: L
authors: Su
authors: Jianfang
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Jingfang
authors: J
authors: Ju
authors: Yingyan
authors: Y
authors: Yu
authors: Qinlong
authors: Q
authors: Gu
authors: Zhenggang
authors: Z
authors: Zhu
authors: Bingya
authors: B
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D050677:Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D064593:Heterografts; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: D050677:Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit; C573832:MIRN301 microRNA, mouse; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm