Downregulation of microRNA-100 enhances the ICMT-Rac1 signaling and promotes metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Oncotarget. 2014 Dec 15;5(23):12177-88. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.2601.

Abstract

Metastasis is responsible for rapid recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and poor survival of HCC patients. Here we showed that miR-100 downregulation in HCC tissues was significantly associated with venous invasion, advanced TNM stage, tumor nodule without complete capsule, poorer cell differentiation, and shorter recurrence-free survival. Both gain- and loss-of-function studies showed that miR-100 dramatically suppressed the ability of HCC cells to migrate and to invade through Matrigel in vitro. Analyses using mouse orthotopic xenograft model further revealed that xenografts of miR-100-stable-expressing HCC cells displayed a significant reduction in pulmonary metastasis, compared with control group. Subsequent investigations revealed that miR-100 directly inhibited the expression of isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) and ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) by binding to their 3'-UTRs, and in turn suppressed lamellipodia formation and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) activation. Furthermore, knockdown of ICMT and Rac1 phenocopied the anti-metastasis effect of miR-100, whereas overexpression of the constitutively active Rac1 (Q61L) antagonized the function of miR-100. Taken together, miR-100 represses metastasis of HCC cells by abrogating the ICMT-Rac1 signaling. Downregulation of miR-100 contributes to HCC metastasis and the restoration of miR-100 is a potential strategy for cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MicroRNAs / biosynthesis
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / genetics*
  • Protein Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Transfection
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • MIRN100 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RAC1 protein, human
  • Protein Methyltransferases
  • protein-S-isoprenylcysteine O-methyltransferase
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein