title: MicroRNA-27a-3p regulates epithelial to mesenchymal transition via targeting YAP1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs frequently dysregulated in human malignancies. Here, we proﬁled isolated cells from freshly resected tumors from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients and OSCC cell lines using a SYBR Green-based qPCR miRNA array to identify the expression change of the miRNAs. Based on the microarray data and clincopathological factor analysis of 50 OSCC patients related to these miRNAs, miR-27a-3p was selected as a putative miRNA which might play important role in OSCC progression. By bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay, we found that YAP1 (Yes-associated protein-1) was a direct target gene of miR-27a-3p. Intriguingly, increased expression of miR-27a-3p could significantly decrease the expression level of YAP1 as well as several epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related molecules in OSCC cell lines, including Twist and Snail. Then, follow-up studies revealed that miR-27a-3p expression was able to downregulate the EMT-related molecules effectively, which might be involved in the regulation of Sox2 via the YAP1-OCT4-Sox2 signaling axis. In summary, this study found that miR-27a-3p could inhibit the YAP1 directly by post-transcriptionally silencing and potentially suppress EMT process, suggesting that miR‑27a-3p might play pivotal roles in effectively manipulating the invasion and metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells through the EMT inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wenxing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xun
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kewen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, The General Hospital of the Second Artillery Corps of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100088, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yongjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, The General Hospital of the Second Artillery Corps of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100088, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000091102:YAP-Signaling Proteins
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C531388:MIRN27 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000091102:YAP-Signaling Proteins; C088374:YAP1 protein, human