title: miR-29b suppresses proliferation, migration, and invasion of tongue squamous cell carcinoma through PTEN-AKT signaling pathway by targeting Sp1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  miR-29b has been implicated in various cancers. However, the role of miR-29b in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-29b in TSCC progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of miR-29b was analyzed in TSCC tissues and cells. Functional studies were performed in TSCC cells. Real time-PCR, Western blot, cell proliferation, transwell, and dual luciferase reporter assays were performed according to standard procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-29b was significantly decreased in TSCC specimens and cell lines compared with corresponding normal counterparts. Overexpression of miR-29b significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell-cycle progression of TSCC cells, and promoted apoptosis. Moreover, miR-29b targeted the 3' untranslated region of the Sp1 transcript and resulted in the deregulation of Sp1. The inhibition of Sp1 by miR-29b subsequently resulted in the upregulation of PTEN, leading to a decline of phosphorylated AKT. Knockdown of Sp1 in TSCC cell lines mimicked the effects of miR-29b overexpression. In addition, the expression of miR-29b was inversely correlated with Sp1 and positively correlated with the PTEN in TSCC specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-29b functions as a tumor suppressor in TSCC, and the miR-29b/Sp1/PTEN/AKT axis might represent a potential therapeutic target for TSCC intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Fei
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Yue
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Medical Systems Biology Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Su-Bi
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: kqyehuagan@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ye-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gan
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017931:DNA Primers; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C532045:MIRN29a microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human
keywords: AKT; Oral cancer; PTEN; Sp1; Tongue squamous cell carcinoma; miR-29b