Zhu Yi, Xia Yang, Niu Hongyan, Chen Yijiang
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Cell Physiol Biochem. 2014;33(5):1340-8. doi: 10.1159/000358701. Epub 2014 May 5.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs that regulate cell proliferation and functions by interfering with the translation of target mRNAs. Altered expression of miRNA is known to induce various human malignancies, but little is known about the role of miRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
RT-PCR and Western blot were used to examine the expression of miRNAs and candidate genes in 40 pairs of squamous cell carcinoma of human. MiR-16 mimics and inhibitor were transfected in human TE-1 and Eca-109 cells before detecting the cell migration, proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle. The regulation mechanism was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Caspase-3 and 9 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot.
Aberrant increased level of miR-16 was detected in the ESCC tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent tumor tissues. MiR-16 could inhibit cell apoptosis while promote cell proliferation by down-regulating RECK and SOX6 in TE-1 and Eca-109 cell lines through binding the 3'UTR of both RECK and SOX6 mRNA.
Aberrant expression level of miR-16 could suppress cell apoptosis while promote growth by regulating RECK and SOX6 which play important roles in the pathogenesis of ESCC.
背景/目的：微小RNA（miRNA）是一类非编码小RNA，通过干扰靶mRNA的翻译来调节细胞增殖和功能。已知miRNA表达改变会诱发多种人类恶性肿瘤，但关于miRNA在食管鳞状细胞癌（ESCC）中的作用知之甚少。
采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）和蛋白质免疫印迹法检测40对人鳞状细胞癌中miRNA和候选基因的表达。在人TE-1和Eca-109细胞中转染miR-16模拟物和抑制剂，然后检测细胞迁移、增殖、凋亡和细胞周期。通过荧光素酶报告基因检测法确认调控机制。采用RT-PCR和蛋白质免疫印迹法检测半胱天冬酶-3和-9。
与相应的癌旁组织相比，在ESCC组织中检测到miR-16水平异常升高。在TE-1和Eca-109细胞系中，miR-16可通过结合RECK和SOX6 mRNA的3'非翻译区（3'UTR）下调RECK和SOX6，从而抑制细胞凋亡并促进细胞增殖。
miR-16的异常表达水平可通过调节RECK和SOX6抑制细胞凋亡并促进生长，而RECK和SOX6在ESCC发病机制中起重要作用。
