MicroRNA-31 initiates lung tumorigenesis and promotes mutant KRAS-driven lung cancer

J Clin Invest. 2016 Jan;126(1):349-64. doi: 10.1172/JCI82720. Epub 2015 Dec 14.

Abstract

MicroRNA (miR) are important regulators of gene expression, and aberrant miR expression has been linked to oncogenesis; however, little is understood about their contribution to lung tumorigenesis. Here, we determined that miR-31 is overexpressed in human lung adenocarcinoma and this overexpression independently correlates with decreased patient survival. We developed a transgenic mouse model that allows for lung-specific expression of miR-31 to test the oncogenic potential of miR-31 in the lung. Using this model, we observed that miR-31 induction results in lung hyperplasia, followed by adenoma formation and later adenocarcinoma development. Moreover, induced expression of miR-31 in mice cooperated with mutant KRAS to accelerate lung tumorigenesis. We determined that miR-31 regulates lung epithelial cell growth and identified 6 negative regulators of RAS/MAPK signaling as direct targets of miR-31. Our study distinguishes miR-31 as a driver of lung tumorigenesis that promotes mutant KRAS-mediated oncogenesis and reveals that miR-31 directly targets and reduces expression of negative regulators of RAS/MAPK signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / etiology*
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / mortality
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System
  • Male
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Mutation*
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics*
  • ras Proteins / physiology

Substances

  • KRAS protein, human
  • MIRN31 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ras Proteins