MicroRNA-320b promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion by competing with its homologous microRNA-320a

Jiaojiao Zhou; Mengwen Zhang; Yanqing Huang; Lin Feng; Hailong Chen; Yiwang Hu; Huarong Chen; Kaitai Zhang; Lei Zheng; Shu Zheng

doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2014.10.014

MicroRNA-320b promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion by competing with its homologous microRNA-320a

Cancer Lett. 2015 Jan 28;356(2 Pt B):669-75. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.10.014. Epub 2014 Oct 16.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China; Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China; Cancer Institute & Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 10021, China.
³ Departments of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 1650 Orleans Street, Bunting-Blaustein Building Room 488, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Surgery, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 1650 Orleans Street, Bunting-Blaustein Building Room 488, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 1650 Orleans Street, Bunting-Blaustein Building Room 488, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: lzheng6@jhmi.edu.
⁴ Department of Surgical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; The Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, 88 Jie-Fang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China. Electronic address: zhengshu@zju.edu.cn.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer metastasis is believed to be associated with microRNA dysregulation. However, little is known as to how microRNAs regulate colorectal cancer proliferation, invasion and metastasis. In the present study, we compared the microRNA expression profiles between patients of colorectal cancer at diagnosis with and without liver metastasis. MicroRNA-320b was found to be among those up-regulated in the patient group with metastasis. We subsequently found that microRNA-320b, opposite of its homolog, microRNA-320a that differs by only a single nucleotide, functions in promoting colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, we found that overexpression of exogenous microRNA-320b can up-regulate the target genes of microRNA-320a including β-catenin, Neuropilin-1 and Rac-1, which are all known to promote tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis. These results suggest that microRNA-320b may function in competing with microRNA-320a. Thus, our study has proposed one novel mechanism for controlling colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion through homologous competition between microRNAs. This mechanism may be important for colorectal cancer metastasis.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Invasion; Metastasis; microRNA-320a; microRNA-320b.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Apoptosis
Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
Blotting, Western
Cell Adhesion
Cell Movement*
Cell Proliferation*
Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics*
Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
Gene Expression Profiling
Humans
Liver Neoplasms / genetics
Liver Neoplasms / secondary
MicroRNAs / genetics*
Neoplasm Invasiveness
Neoplasm Staging
RNA, Messenger / genetics
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

Biomarkers, Tumor
MIRN320 microRNA, human
MicroRNAs
RNA, Messenger

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding