title: miR-23a targets interferon regulatory factor 1 and modulates cellular proliferation and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in gastric adenocarcinoma cells.
abstract: MicroRNAs are a class of non-coding RNAs that function as key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In our previous research, we found that miR-23a was significantly up-regulated in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. In the current study, we demonstrate that miR-23a suppresses paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and promotes the cell proliferation and colony formation ability of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. We have identified tumor suppressor interferon regulator factor 1 (IRF1) as a direct target gene of miR-23a. We performed a fluorescent reporter assay to confirm that miR-23a bound to the IRF1 mRNA 3'UTR directly and specifically. The ectopic expression of IRF1 markedly promoted paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and inhibited cell viability and colony formation ability, whereas the knockdown of IRF1 had the opposite effects. The restoration of IRF1 expression counteracted the effects of miR-23a on the paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and cell proliferation of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that miR-23a is frequently up-regulated in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues, whereas IRF1 is down-regulated in cancer tissues. Altogether, these results indicate that miR-23a suppresses paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and promotes cell viability and the colony formation ability of gastric adenocarcinoma cells by targeting IRF1 at the post-transcriptional level.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Life Science Research Center and Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ru
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019295:Computational Biology; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; C552430:MIRN23a microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D017239:Paclitaxel