MiR-142-5p promotes retinoblastoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting PTEN.

The study intends to probe the functions of miR-142-5p in retinoblastoma (RB) and the relationship between miR-142-5p and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN). In our study, miR-142-5p and PTEN mRNA expression in RB tissue, serum of RB patients and RB cell lines were investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The proliferation, migration, invasion and cell apoptosis were measured using MTT assay, BrdU assay, Transwell experiments and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Binding sites between miR-142-5p and PTEN were predicted by the TargetScan database and were confirmed via qRT-PCR, western blot and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. It was demonstrated that miR-142-5p expression was elevated in RB tissue, serum of RB patients and RB cell lines. MiR-142-5p overexpression remarkably promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion and inhibited the apoptosis of WERI-RB-1 cells while miR-142-5p knockdown induced opposite effects in Y79 cells. MiR-142-5p decreased PTEN expression in both mRNA and protein expression levels, and PTEN was identified as a target gene of miR-142-5p. Cotransfection of PTEN overexpression plasmids reversed the influences of miR-142-5p on RB cells. In conclusion, miR-142-5p enhances proliferation, migration and invasion of RB cell by targeting PTEN.