title: The involvement of miR-23a/APAF1 regulation axis in colorectal cancer.
abstract: Recent advances in microRNAome have made microRNAs (miRNAs) a compelling novel class of biomarker in cancer biology. In the present study, the role of miR-23a in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) was investigated. Cell viability, apoptosis, and caspase 3/7 activation analyses were conducted to determine the potentiality of apoptosis resistance function of miR-23a in CRC. Luciferase assay was performed to verify a putative target site of miR-23a in the 3'-UTR of apoptosis protease activating factor 1 (APAF1) mRNA. The expression levels of miR-23a and APAF1 in CRC cell lines (SW480 and SW620) and clinical samples were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. We found that the inhibition of miR-23a in SW480 and SW620 cell lines resulted in significant reduction of cell viability and promotion of cell apoptosis. Moreover, miR-23a up-regulation was coupled with APAF1 down-regulation in CRC tissue samples. Taken together, miR-23a was identified to regulate apoptosis in CRC. Our study highlights the potential application of miR-23a/APAF1 regulation axis in miRNA-based therapy and prognostication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. flyong88@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fung Lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, MAHSA University, Kuala Lumpur 59100, Malaysia. wang.chee@mahsa.edu.my.
authors.forename: Chee Woon
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. aprilroslani@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: April Camilla
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Roslani
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. drcwlaw@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chee Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Law
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C506592:APAF1 protein, human; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; C552430:MIRN23a microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7