c-Myc Represses Tumor-Suppressive microRNAs, let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b, and Induces Cyclin D2-Mediated Cell Proliferation in Ewing's Sarcoma Cell Line

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 22;10(9):e0138560. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138560. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Myc oncogenic transcription factor is known to inhibit tumor suppressive microRNAs (miRNAs), resulting in greater expression of their target protein related to cell cycle, invasion or anti-apoptotic factors in human cancer cells. To explore possible oncogenic factors in Ewing's sarcoma (ES), we conducted microarray-based approach to profile the changes in the expression of miRNAs and its downstream mRNAs in five ES cell lines and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Three miRNAs, let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b were significantly down-regulated, whereas c-Myc and cyclin D2 (CCND2) were significantly up-regulated in all tested ES cells compared with hMSCs. To verify that let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b were the targets of c-Myc in ES cell lines, we transfected siRNA against c-Myc and confirmed the coordinate up-regulation of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b through the repression of c-Myc. The ES cells transfected with c-Myc-siRNA and let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b exhibited the inhibition of the cell cycle progression. The increased expression of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b resulted in the reduction of CCND2 protein expression. We also demonstrated that c-Myc-siRNA treatment of ES cells was associated with the decreased expression of CCND2 as a down-stream of three miRNAs. Furthermore, the introduction of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b in ES cells could inhibit the c-Myc-mediated up-regulation of CCND2 resulted in the prevention of cell cycle progression. In addition, the transfection of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b in ES cells suppressed tumor growth ex vivo treatment. These findings suggests that the up-regulation of c-Myc inhibited the expression of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b subsequently induced CCND2 expression in ES cells. The present study might identify a novel oncogenic axis that c-Myc regulates the expression of CCND2 via let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b, leading to the development new therapeutic targets for ES.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics*
  • Cyclin D2 / genetics*
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / genetics*
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / pathology*
  • Up-Regulation / genetics

Substances

  • Cyclin D2
  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Interfering

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund (26-A-4), the Health and Labour Sciences Research Expenses for Commission, Applied Research for Innovative Treatment of Cancer (H26-084) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No.24592250) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.