title: MicroRNA-152 inhibits tumor cell growth by directly targeting RTKN in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of adult liver cancer and accounts for approximately 90% of all cases of primary liver cancer annually. Rhotekin (RTKN), which functions as a cancer promoter, can be frequently detected in many human cancers, including gastric cancer, colorectal carcinoma and bladder carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of RTKN in HCC. Using HCC cells and tissues from patients with liver cancer, we demonstrated that RTKN was significantly increased in HCC. To examine the effect of RTKN on HCC, RTKN overexpressed or silenced HepG2 and Hep3B cells were constructed. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. The results showed that RTKN can function as an oncogene and promote the proliferation, while inhibiting apoptosis, of HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Furthermore, we identified that RTKN is a direct gene target of miR-152. miR-152 can reverse the growth promoting effect of RTKN on HCC cells through G2/M phase arrest and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal inhibition. In conclusion, our research identified that miRNA-152 can inhibit tumor cell growth by targeting RTKN in HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Tangdu Hospital, The 4th Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiejing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Tangdu Hospital, The 4th Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Tangdu Hospital, The 4th Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Tangdu Hospital, The 4th Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dequan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Tangdu Hospital, The 4th Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiuju
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Tangdu Hospital, The 4th Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C550856:MIRN152 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016328:NF-kappa B; C100494:RTKN protein, human; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins