title: MicroRNA-320b promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion by competing with its homologous microRNA-320a.
abstract: Colorectal cancer metastasis is believed to be associated with microRNA dysregulation. However, little is known as to how microRNAs regulate colorectal cancer proliferation, invasion and metastasis. In the present study, we compared the microRNA expression profiles between patients of colorectal cancer at diagnosis with and without liver metastasis. MicroRNA-320b was found to be among those up-regulated in the patient group with metastasis. We subsequently found that microRNA-320b, opposite of its homolog, microRNA-320a that differs by only a single nucleotide, functions in promoting colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, we found that overexpression of exogenous microRNA-320b can up-regulate the target genes of microRNA-320a including β-catenin, Neuropilin-1 and Rac-1, which are all known to promote tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis. These results suggest that microRNA-320b may function in competing with microRNA-320a. Thus, our study has proposed one novel mechanism for controlling colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion through homologous competition between microRNAs. This mechanism may be important for colorectal cancer metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
authors.forename: Jiaojiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
authors.forename: Mengwen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China; Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China; Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
authors.forename: Yiwang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
authors.forename: Huarong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China; Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China; Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China.
authors.forename: Kaitai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 1650 Orleans Street, Bunting-Blaustein Building Room 488, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Surgery, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 1650 Orleans Street, Bunting-Blaustein Building Room 488, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 1650 Orleans Street, Bunting-Blaustein Building Room 488, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: lzheng6@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China. Electronic address: zhengshu@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; 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; C572916:MIRN320 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Invasion; Metastasis; microRNA-320a; microRNA-320b