title: MicroRNA-124-3p regulates cell proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and bioenergetics by targeting PIM1 in astrocytoma.
abstract: The PIM1 protein is an important regulator of cell proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis, and metabolism in various human cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are powerful post-transcriptional gene regulators that function through translational repression or transcript destabilization. Therefore, we aimed to identify whether a close relationship exists between PIM1 and miRNAs. PIM1 protein levels and mRNA levels were significantly upregulated in astrocytoma tissues, indicating the oncogenic role of PIM1 in astrocytoma. Further bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-124-3p targeted the 3'-UTR of PIM1. We also observed an inverse correlation between the miR-124-3p levels and PIM1 protein or mRNA levels in astrocytoma samples. Next, we experimentally confirmed that miR-124-3p directly recognizes the 3'-UTR of the PIM1 transcript and regulates PIM1 expression at both the protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, we examined the biological consequences of miR-124-3p targeting PIM1 in vitro. We showed that the repression of PIM1 in astrocytoma cancer cells by miR-124-3p suppressed proliferation, invasion, and aerobic glycolysis and promoted apoptosis. We observed that the restoration or inhibition of PIM1 activity resulted in effects that were similar to those induced by miR-124-3p inhibitors or mimics in cancer cells. Finally, overexpression of PIM1 rescued the inhibitory effects of miR-124-3p. In summary, these findings aid in understanding the tumor-suppressive role of miR-124-3p in astrocytoma pathogenesis through the inhibition of PIM1 translation.
authors.affiliation: Modern Medical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Danni
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Xuzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biopharm Industry Service Center, Changzhou Center for Biotech Development, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Modern Medical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bowen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Modern Medical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Naiyuan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Modern Medical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.|Department of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yilin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Modern Medical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhi
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C509207:MIRN124 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C496634:PIM1 protein, human; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1
keywords: Apoptosis; PIM1; bioenergetics; invasion; miR-124-3p