Hsa-miR-331-3p inhibits VHL expression by directly targeting its mRNA 3'-UTR in HCC cell lines.
Dysregulation of miRNA is widely involved in human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Array data for miRNAs indicated that miR-331-3p might be one of the disorderly expressed miRNAs in HCC cell lines, but the function of miR-331-3p in HCC remains unclear. In this study, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results indicated that miR-331-3p was up-regulated in HepG2.2.15 cells, Ad-HBV-HepG2 cells and pCH9/3091 transfected SMMC7721 cells compared with their control group, respectively. miRNA target prediction software was used, and VHL was found to be one of the target genes of miR-331-3p. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis indicated VHL expression was decreased when miR-331-3p was over-expressed and increased when miR-331-3p was inhibited in SMMC7721 cells. The luciferase reporter activity was inhibited in SMMC7721 cells when co-transfected with miR-331-3p expression vector and VHL 3'-UTR wild type vector and increased in HepG2.2.15 transfected with miR-331-3p inhibitor compared to its control group respectively. When co-transfected with miR-331-3p expression vector and VHL 3'-UTR mutated type vector in SMMC7721 cells the luciferase reporter activity was recovered. All of these results show that HBV up-regulated miR-331-3p expression in HCC cell lines and miR-331-3p could inhibit VHL expression by directly targeting its 3'-UTR. This provided useful information in exploring the mechanism of HCC induced by HBV infection.
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Yiyi
Y
Cao
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Jinnan
J
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Dongmei
D
Xiong
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Dan
D
Wang
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Ting
T
Wu
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Ailong
A
Huang
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Hua
H
Tang
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein / Q000235:genetics*
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C544460:MIRN331 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012709:Serum Albumin; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; C497446:VHL protein, human