title: Sulfatide epigenetically regulates miR-223 and promotes the migration of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The biological relevance and regulation mechanism of aberrant miR-223 expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. Our aim was to investigate miR-223 regulation in HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  miR-223 and integrin αV dysregulation were verified in 57 HCC specimens. Immunohistochemical analysis of integrin αV and sulfatide levels was performed on another cohort of 103 HCC samples. Epigenetic analysis was used to explore the effect of sulfatide on miR-223 transcription. Orthotopic growth, and intrahepatic and pulmonary metastasis of tumors derived from SMMC-7721 cells expressing miR-223 or cerebroside sulfotransferase were monitored in mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-223 was reduced in HCC specimens and highly metastatic cell lines. Enhanced miR-223 expression had a negative effect on integrin αV-mediated cell migration. In vivo assays of metastasis in an orthotopically implanted model demonstrated that miR-223 effectively inhibited HCC metastasis. Further analysis demonstrated that integrin αV is negatively regulated by miR-223. Moreover, the integrin αV subunit was significantly positively correlated with highly expressed sulfatide in 103 HCC specimens. Intriguingly, miR-223 expression was suppressed by sulfatide in HCC in association with reduced recruitment of acetylated histone H3 and C/EBPα to the pre-miR-223 gene promoter, where monocytic leukemia zinc finger (MOZ) protein, a MYST-type histone acetyltransferase, lost its attachment. The expression of histone deacetylases, HDAC9 and HDAC10, were greatly stimulated by sulfatide and their recruitment to miR-223 gene promoter was enhanced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Downregulation of miR-223 in HCC is associated with the epigenetic regulation by highly expressed sulfatide and involved in tumor metastasis.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Key Lab of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai, China.
authors: Yi Wei
authors: YW
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Key Lab of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai, China.
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Key Lab of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai, China.
authors: Qian Qian
authors: QQ
authors: Cai
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Key Lab of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Qi
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Key Lab of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wu
authors: People's Hospital of Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Yong Hu
authors: YH
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Key Lab of Glycoconjugate Research, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: xz_wu@shmu.edu.cn.
authors: Xing Zhong
authors: XZ
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D015536:Down-Regulation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D039564:Integrin alphaV / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D039564:Integrin alphaV; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids; C525067:MIR223, human
keywords: Liver cancer; Metastasis; Sulfated cerebroside; microRNA