A Bmi1-miRNAs cross-talk modulates chemotherapy response to 5-fluorouracil in breast cancer cells

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 9;8(9):e73268. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073268. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The polycomb group transcriptional modifier Bmi1 is often upregulated in numerous cancers and is intensely involved in normal and cancer stem cells, and importantly is as a prognostic indicator for some cancers, but its role in breast cancer remains unclear. Here, we found Bmi1 overexpression in 5-Fu (5-fluorouracil)-resistant MCF-7 cells (MCF-7/5-Fu) derived from MCF-7 breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells compared to MCF-7 cells, was related with 5-Fu resistance and enrichment of CD44(+)/CD24(-) stem cell subpopulation. Bmi1 knockdown enhanced the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to 5-Fu and 5-Fu induced apoptosis via mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and decreased the fraction of CD44(+)/CD24(-) subpopulation. In addition, our analysis showed inverse expression pattern between Bmi1 and miR-200c and miR-203 in selected breast cancer cell lines, and miR-200c and miR-203 directly repressed Bmi1 expression in protein level confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. MiR-200c and miR-203 overexpression in breast cancer cells downregulated Bmi1 expression accompanied with reversion of resistance to 5-Fu mediated by Bmi1. Inversely, Bmi1 overexpression inhibited miR-200c expression in MCF-7 cells, but not miR-203, however ectopic wild-type p53 expression reversed Bmi1 mediated miR-200c downregulation, suggesting the repressive effect of Bmi1 on miR-200c maybe depend on p53. Thus, our study suggests a cross-talk between Bmi1 and miR-200c mediated by p53, and Bmi1 interference would improve chemotherapy efficiency in breast cancer via susceptive apoptosis induction and cancer stem cell enrichment inhibition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Breast / drug effects
  • Breast / metabolism
  • Breast / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 / genetics*

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • BMI1 protein, human
  • MIRN200 microRNA, human
  • MIRN203 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Fluorouracil

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation (81272450) of China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.