MicroRNA profiling in Muc2 knockout mice of colitis-associated cancer model reveals epigenetic alterations during chronic colitis malignant transformation

PLoS One. 2014 Jun 18;9(6):e99132. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099132. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Our previous studies have demonstrated that genetic deletion of the Muc2 gene causes colorectal cancers in mice. The current study further showed that at the early stage (<3 months) the Muc2 knockout mice spontaneously developed chronic inflammation in colon and rectum, similar pathological features as human colitis; and at the late stage (>3 months) the mice exhibited colorectal cancer, including a unique phenotype of rectal prolapsed (rectal severe inflammation and adenocarcinoma). Thus, the age of 3 months might be the key point of the transition from chronic inflammation to cancer. To determine the mechanisms of the malignant transformation, we conducted miRNA array on the colonic epithelial cells from the 3-month Muc2-/- and +/+ mice. MicroRNA profiling showed differential expression of miRNAs (i.e. lower or higher expression enrichments) in Muc2-/- mice. 15 of them were validated by quantitative PCR. Based on relevance to cytokine and cancer, 4 miRNAs (miR-138, miR-145, miR-146a, and miR-150) were validate and were found significantly downregulated in human colitis and colorectal cancer tissues. The network of the targets of these miRNAs was characterized, and interestedly, miRNA-associated cytokines were significantly increased in Muc2-/-mice. This is the first to reveal the importance of aberrant expression of miRNAs in dynamically transformation from chronic colitis to colitis-associated cancer. These findings shed light on revealing the mechanisms of chronic colitis malignant transformation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinogenesis / metabolism
  • Chronic Disease
  • Colitis / metabolism*
  • Colitis / pathology
  • Colon / metabolism
  • Colon / pathology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Mice, Knockout
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Mucin-2 / genetics*
  • Rectum / metabolism
  • Rectum / pathology
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Muc2 protein, mouse
  • Mucin-2

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant #91229115 and 81272251), a grant for the Innovative Team of Science and Technology from the Department of Education, Henan Province, China, and Doctor Research Fund (#100820 and 505011) and Startup Fund from Xinxiang Medical University, China. The work was also supported in part by the National College Student Innovative Projects of China (#201310472005 to XL, 201310472012 to BX, and 201310472016 to ZL). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.