title: microRNA-21 mediates the TGF-β1-induced migration of keratinocytes via targeting PTEN.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism into the keratinocyte migration, which is promoted by Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) during wound healing.
  
  
  
  In the present study, we investigated the regulation by TGF-β1 on phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression, and microRNA-21 (miR-21) level with real-time quantitative PCR or/and Western blotting, and then examined the regulatory role of miR-21 on the PTEN expression and the mesenchymal transition, with real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting and luciferase reporter assay, and the migration of keratinocytic HaCaT cells with scratch assay.
  
  
  
  It was demonstrated that miR-21 was upregulated by TGF-β1 treatment in HaCaT cells; and the upregulated miR-21 targeted the 3' UTR of PTEN gene and downregulated the PTEN expression, along with the Smad3/4 upregulation. Moreover, the miR-21 manipulation with miR-21 mimics or miR-21 inhibitor not only upregulated or downregulated the miR-21 level, but also associated with the mesenchymal transition and the migration of HaCaT cells via promoting or downregulating the FSP1 and Collagen I and the E-cadherin, and via upregulating or downregulating the migration of HaCaT cells.
  
  
  
  Our results demonstrate that miR-21 mediates the TGF-β1-promoted mesenchymal transition and migration of keratinocytes during skin wound healing via targeting PTEN. This study implies that miR-21 might be an important target to promote the skin wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, China. newwynshi@163.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: N-W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: J-N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: H-B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D002465:Cell Movement; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human