DNA methyltransferase 3 beta regulates promoter methylation of microRNA-149 to augment esophageal squamous cell carcinoma development through the ring finger protein 2/Wnt/β-catenin axis.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive form of human squamous cell carcinomas with extremely aggressive pathological features. This study explores the functions of microRNA-149 () and its interacted molecules in ESCC. The ESCC-related miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) datasets were applied to identify aberrantly expressed genes in ESCC. Forty-two patients with ESCC were included and their tissue samples were collected. was poorly expressed whereas DNA methyltransferase 3 beta () and ring finger protein 2 () were abundantly expressed in ESCC tumor samples. Overexpression of suppressed growth and invasiveness of ESCC cells and bound to the promoter region of to trigger its promoter methylation and downregulation. mRNA was a target of overexpression blocked the inhibitory effect of on ESCC cell growth. activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to promote ESCC development. In conclusion, this study found that downregulates level through methylation modification of the promoter, while suppresses expression and inactivates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to suppress growth of ESCC cells.