title: Elucidating the roles of miR-372 in cell proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma TW01 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Deregulation of microRNA has been associated with cancer progression and the modification of cancer phenotypes could be achieved by targeting microRNA expression. This study aimed to determine the effects of miR-372 on cell progression and gene expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line, TW01.
  
  
  METHODS
  NPC TW01 cells were transfected with the miR-372 precursor molecules. Gene expression studies were conducted using RT-PCR assays for nine cancer related genes. The effects of miR-372 on cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of -miR-372 caused cell cycle arrest at the S phase that was accompanied by an overall decrease of cells entering the G2/M phase. miR-372 did not have any significant effect on apoptosis. Of the nine genes studied, four were up-regulated, namely CDKN1A, INCA1, LATS2 and BIRC5. The other five genes - CDK2, CCNA1, TP53, BAX and BCL2 were down-regulated by miR-372.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study indicated the tumor suppressing roles of miR-372 in cell cycle progression of TW01 cells, possibly via the down-regulation of CDK2 and CCNA1 as well as the up-regulation of CDKN1A and INCA1.Key Words: apoptosis, microRNA, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, miR-372, CDK2, CCNA1.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia.
authors.forename: J-K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia.
authors.forename: E-L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Gan
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002277:Carcinoma; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D056750:Cyclin A1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C503745:CCNA1 protein, human; D056750:Cyclin A1; C561021:MIRN372 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495894:CDK2 protein, human; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2