title: C/EBP-β-activated microRNA-223 promotes tumour growth through targeting RASA1 in human colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidences have shown that the RAS signalling pathway plays an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC). Moreover, RAS-GTPase-activating proteins (RASGAPs) as RAS signalling terminators are associated with tumourigenicity and tumour progression. In this study, we used bioinformatics analysis to predict and study important miRNAs that could target RAS p21 GTPase-activating protein 1 (RASA1), an important member of RASGAPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of RASA1 and miR-223 were analysed by real-time PCR, western blotting or in situ immunofluorescence analyses. The functional effects of miR-223 and the effects of miR-223-targeted inhibitors were examined in vivo using established assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Upregulation of miR-223 was detected in CRC tissues (P<0.01) and was involved in downregulation of RASA1 in CRC tissues. Furthermore, the direct inhibition of RASA1 translation by miR-223 and the activation of miR-223 by CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β (C/EBP-β) were evaluated in CRC cells. An in vivo xenograft model of CRC suggested that the upregulation of miR-223 could promote tumour growth and that the inhibition of miR-223 might prevent solid tumour growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results identify that C/EBP-β-activated miR-223 contributes to tumour growth by targeting RASA1 in CRC and miR-223-targeted inhibitors may have clinical promise for CRC treatment via suppression of miR-223.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sun
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Long
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Ma
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Guo
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Huang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Zhang
authors: 1] State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China [2] State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: 1] State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China [2] Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D020729:p120 GTPase Activating Protein / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020729:p120 GTPase Activating Protein; C525067:MIR223, human; C557248:RASA1 protein, human