title: miR-129-2 suppresses proliferation and migration of esophageal carcinoma cells through downregulation of SOX4 expression.
abstract: We report the emerging role of microRNA (miRNA) deregulation associated with activation of an oncogene SOX4 (a member of the SRY-related HMG-box) in esophageal carcinoma. Paired esophageal cancer and adjacent non-tumor tissues were obtained from 42 patients who underwent primary surgical resection for esophageal cancer. Experiments such as real-time PCR, western blot analysis, luciferase-reporter assay, cell proliferation and colony formation assays, in vitro migration and invasion assays, and a wound-healing assay were performed to determine the effects of miR-129-2. We found that SOX4 expression was elevated (P<0.005) in esophageal tumors (n=42) when compared with its expression in the controls (n=42). Compared with the normal esophageal tissues, the expression of miR-129-2 was downregulated in 27 of 31 primary esophageal tumors, while the expression of SOX4 was upregulated (P<0.001). Restoration of miR-129-2 by transfection with an miRNA expression plasmid led to a decrease in SOX4 expression, which was accompanied by reduced migration and proliferation of the cancer cells. These results suggest that aberrant expression of SOX4 is associated with repression of miR-129-2, and restoration of miR-129-2 suppresses the migration and proliferation of esophageal cancer cells. Our results demonstrated that the deregulation of miR-129-2 leads to aberrant SOX4 expression, presenting a new paradigm in which the restoration of miRNA suppresses its oncogenic target in esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wenqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rensheng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Anzhou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Zhenguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hesheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ou
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D034622:RNA Interference; D055751:SOXC Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D035683:MicroRNAs; C541915:Mirn129 microRNA, human; C083431:SOX4 protein, human; D055751:SOXC Transcription Factors