title: MicroRNA‑1915‑3p prevents the apoptosis of lung cancer cells by downregulating DRG2 and PBX2.
abstract: Micro (mi)RNAs are short non‑coding RNA molecules, which post‑transcriptionally regulate gene expression and exert key roles in cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. In the present study, the mechanism and the function of miR‑1915‑3p in the apoptotic regulation of lung cancer cell lines (NCI‑H441 and NCI‑H1650) were investigated. The expression analysis confirmed that the expression of miR‑1915‑3p was markedly decreased in the apoptotic cells. The overexpression of miR‑1915‑3p in the lung cancer cells prevented apoptosis induced by etoposide. Developmentally regulated GTP‑binding protein 2 (DRG2) and pre‑B cell leukemia homeobox 2 (PBX2) were identified as downstream targets of miR‑1915‑3p, which was shown to bind directly to the 3'‑untranslated region of DRG2 and PBX2, subsequently lowering their mRNA and protein expression levels. Co‑expression of miR‑1915‑3p and DRG2/PBX2 in the NCI‑H441 and NCI‑H1650 cells partly circumvented the effect of miR‑1915‑3p on apoptosis. The results in the present study revealed that miR‑1915‑3p functions as a silencer of apoptosis, which regulates lung cancer apoptosis via targeting DRG2/PBX2, and consequently this miRNA may be a putative therapeutic target in lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Aviation Medicine Research Laboratory, Air Force General Hospital, PLA, Beijing 100142, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chengshan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Student Ministry of Education, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei 075000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hengheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Aviation Medicine Research Laboratory, Air Force General Hospital, PLA, Beijing 100142, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Medical Laboratory, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei 075000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tianjun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Aviation Medicine Research Laboratory, Air Force General Hospital, PLA, Beijing 100142, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lianning
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Aviation Medicine Research Laboratory, Air Force General Hospital, PLA, Beijing 100142, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chengrong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C409877:DRG2 protein, human; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C578402:MIRN1915 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C090465:PBX2 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins