miRNA-766 induces apoptosis of human colon cancer cells through the p53/Bax signaling pathway by MDM4.

miRNAs are closely associated with tumor genesis and development. The present study investigated the role of the expression of miRNA-766 in the survival of patients with colon cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and microarray analysis were used to analyze the expression of miRNA-766. The results revealed that the expression of miRNA-766 was decreased in patients with colon cancer. The overall survival and disease-free survival rates of patients with colon cancer with a high expression of miRNA-766 were prolonged, compared with those with a low expression of miRNA-766. The overexpression of miRNA-766 reduced cell growth and induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells through suppression of the MDM4/p53 pathway. By contrast, the downregulation of miRNA-766 promoted cell growth and reduced apoptosis in colon cancer cells through activation of the MDM4/p53 pathway. The promotion of MDM4 attenuated the anticancer effect of miRNA-766 in colon cancer cells. These results demonstrated that miRNA-766 induced cell apoptosis in human colon cancer through MDM4/p53.