title: miR-126 inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells partially by targeting Sox2.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a new cohort of gene regulators. Currently, a large number of miRNAs have been reported to be associated with the initiation and maintenance of HCC. Through evaluating the relative concentrations of HCC-associated circulating miRNAs, underexpression of miR-126 has been identified in the blood of HCC patients. However, the exact function of miR-126 on HCC cellular biology progression and relative mechanisms were unclear. In this paper, we explored the function of miR-126 on HCC cells through exogenously transfecting HCC cells with miR-126 mimic. Restored miR-126 expression inhibited cell proliferation, arrest cell cycle progression, and induced cell apoptosis of HepG2 HCC cells. Moreover, to explore the mechanism of miR-126-mediated tumor suppression, we searched the putative targets of miR-126 using prediction program. Surprisingly, we found that sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2) was a putative target gene of miR-126. Further luciferase assays, mRNA and protein assays consistently validated the target role of Sox2. Through restoring the expression of Sox2 in miR-126-transfected HepG2 cells, we found that overexpression of Sox2 could partially abrogate the miR-126-mediated suppression of cell growth. Thus, our data identified miR-126 as a tumor suppressor in HCC through, at least partially by targeting Sox2. This may provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic options for human HCC in future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C527111:MIRN126 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors