title: MicroRNA-146a acts as a metastasis suppressor in gastric cancer by targeting WASF2.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that miR-146a acts as either an oncogene or a tumor suppressor in various cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-146a in gastric cancer cells and its potential target genes. The results showed that miR-146a expression correlated inversely with WASF2 protein expression in gastric cancer cell lines. Overexpression of miR-146a suppressed the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and also the protein level of WASF2. WASF2 was shown to be a direct target gene of miR-146a by luciferase assays. Restoration of WASF2 promoted the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, similar to that mediated by miR-146a inhibition. This study has identified an onco-suppressive role of miR-146a in gastric cancer cells by its reduction of WASF2 expression. The newly identified miR-146a/WASF2 axis partially reveals the molecular mechanism underlying the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and represents a new potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors: Qunyan
authors: Q
authors: Yao
authors: Zhongwei
authors: Z
authors: Cao
authors: Chuantao
authors: C
authors: Tu
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
authors: Hongchun
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Shuncai
authors: S
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D034622:RNA Interference; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051300:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C542542:MIRN146 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C120152:WASF2 protein, human; D051300:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family; C515851:ROCK1 protein, human; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases