miR-20a regulates sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to NK cells by targeting MICA

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancer-related causes of deaths in the world. Recently, microRNAs have been reported to regulate the tumor growth, invasion and the immunosuppression. In the present study, we found that miR-20a was increased in human CRC specimens compared with the healthy normal tissues. However, miR-20a overexpression and knockdown did not impair the CRC cell growth in vitro. Our results indicated that CD107a+ NK cells are increased in CRC group. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that miR-20a knockdown promoted the CRC cells sensitive to NK cells, whereas miR-20a overexpression showed the opposite results. Our results suggest that the regulation of NK cells by miR-20a depends on NKG2D. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that the NKG2D ligand Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I-related chain genes A (MICA) is the direct target of miR-20a. Flow cytometry showed the MICA protein level is significantly reduced in miR-20a-overexpressing CRC cells and increased in miR-20a knockdown CRC cells. Taken together, our results suggest that miR-20a regulates sensitivity of CRC cells to NK cells by targeting MICA.

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MicroRNA-124 Regulates the Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells by TargetingiASPP

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2013/867537 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Kuijie Liu ◽

Hua Zhao ◽

Hongliang Yao ◽

Sanlin Lei ◽

Zhendong Lei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Target Prediction ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Luciferase Reporter Gene ◽

Small Noncoding Rnas ◽

Colorectal Cancer Cells ◽

Microrna 124

MicroRNAs are a class of small, noncoding RNAs that function as critical regulators of gene expression by targeting mRNAs for translational repression or degradation. In this study, we demonstrate that expression of microRNA-124 (miR-124) is significantly downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines, compared to the matched adjacent tissues. We identified and confirmed inhibitor of apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (iASPP) as a novel, direct target of miR-124 using target prediction algorithms and luciferase reporter gene assays. Overexpression of miR-124 suppressed iASPP protein expression, upregulated expression of the downstream signaling molecule nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and attenuated cell viability, proliferation, and colony formation in SW480 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Forced overexpression ofiASPPpartly rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-124 on SW480 and HT29 cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings shed light on the role and mechanism of action of miR-124, indicate that the miR-124/iASPP axis can regulate the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells, and suggest that miR-124 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

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Circular RNA circFAT1(e2) Promotes Colorectal Cancer Tumorigenesis via the miR-30e-5p/ITGA6 Axis

Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine ◽

10.1155/2021/9980459 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Fei Pan ◽

Dongqing Zhang ◽

Na Li ◽

Mei Liu

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Circular Rna ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Circular Rnas ◽

Small Interfering Rnas ◽

Regulatory Relationship ◽

Downstream Target ◽

Normal Tissues

circRNAs (circular RNAs) are a family of noncoding RNAs and have diverse physiological and pathological functions. However, the functions and mechanisms of circRNAs in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain largely unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the functions and roles of circFAT1(e2) in CRC. qRT-PCR revealed that circFAT1(e2) in CRC tumor tissues was upregulated compared with that in adjacent normal tissues and was also upregulated in CRC cell lines. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against circFAT1(e2) were used to decrease the expression of circFAT1(e2) in HCT116 and RKO cells in vitro. The roles of circFAT1(e2) in CRC cell metastasis and proliferation were then determined by transwell and CCK-8 assays. The results showed that circFAT1(e2) silencing markedly suppressed CRC growth. Moreover, we identified circFAT1(e2) as a promoter of CRC metastasis. Knockdown of circFAT1(e2) evidently reduced HCT116 and RKO cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the regulatory relationship between circFAT1(e2) and its target miRNAs was verified by a luciferase reporter assay. We demonstrated that circFAT1(e2) could sponge miR-30e-5p, which regulated the expression level of integrin α6 (ITGA6), the downstream target gene of miR-30e-5p. Rescue assays demonstrated that knockdown of miR-30e-5p enhanced CRC proliferation and migration via ITGA6. Taken together, our results reveal the novel oncogenic roles of circFAT1(e2) in CRC through the miR-30e-5p/ITGA6 axis.

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Upregulation of miR-324-5p Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Targeting ELAVL1

Oncology Research Featuring Preclinical and Clinical Cancer Therapeutics ◽

10.3727/096504018x15166183598572 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 515-524 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Chijiang Gu ◽

Mingyuan Zhang ◽

Weiliang Sun ◽

Changzheng Dong

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Luciferase Reporter Gene ◽

Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay ◽

Gene Assay ◽

Colorectal Cancer Cells ◽

Colorectal Cell ◽

Sw480 Cells ◽

Direct Target ◽

Proliferation And Invasion

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common clinical cancer that remains incurable in most cases. miRNAs are reported to play a part in the development of various tumors. In the present study, we found that miR-324-5p was downregulated in CRC cells, while ELAV (embryonic lethal, abnormal vision, Drosophila)-like protein 1 (ELAVL1) showed a higher expression. miR-324-5p transfection significantly inhibited the proliferation as well as invasion in both SW620 and SW480 cells. miR-324-5p mimic transfection markedly decreased the expression of ELAVL1. Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that ELAVL1 is a direct target of miR-324-5p. Furthermore, cancer invasion factors uPA, uPAR, and MMP-9 were found to drop significantly in miR-324-5p-transfected groups. To conclude, our findings indicate that miR-324-5p may play a suppressive role in colorectal cell viability and invasion, at least in part, through directly targeting ELAVL1. Therefore, miR-234-5p might function as a promising candidate for CRC treatment and deserves deeper research.

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Polo-like kinase 3 inhibits glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer by targeting HSP90/STAT3/HK2 signaling

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research ◽

10.1186/s13046-019-1418-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Baochi Ou ◽

Hongze Sun ◽

Jingkun Zhao ◽

Zhuoqing Xu ◽

Yuan Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Transcriptional Activation ◽

Lactate Production ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Transcriptional Level ◽

Atp Production ◽

Reporter Assays

Abstract Background Polo-like kinase 3 (PLK3) has been documented as a tumor suppressor in several types of malignancies. However, the role of PLK3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and glucose metabolism remains to be known. Methods The expression of PLK3 in CRC tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. Cells proliferation was examined by EdU, CCK-8 and in vivo analyses. Glucose metabolism was assessed by detecting lactate production, glucose uptake, mitochondrial respiration, extracellular acidification rate, oxygen consumption rate and ATP production. Chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assays and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to explore the signaling pathway. Specific targeting by miRNAs was determined by luciferase reporter assays and correlation with target protein expression. Results PLK3 was significantly downregulated in CRC tissues and its low expression was correlated with worse prognosis of patients. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that PLK3 contributed to growth inhibition of CRC cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PLK3 impeded glucose metabolism via targeting Hexokinase 2 (HK2) expression. Mechanically, PLK3 bound to Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and facilitated its degradation, which led to a significant decrease of phosphorylated STAT3. The downregulation of p-STAT3 further suppressed the transcriptional activation of HK2. Moreover, our investigations showed that PLK3 was directly targeted by miR-106b at post-transcriptional level in CRC cells. Conclusion This study suggests that PLK3 inhibits glucose metabolism by targeting HSP90/STAT3/HK2 signaling and PLK3 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.

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Circ_0026344 overexpression inhibits the migration, invasion, and enhances apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells by sponging miR-31

10.21203/rs.3.rs-58633/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ye Jin ◽

Lingli Yu ◽

Bin Zhang ◽

Yun Chen ◽

Changfeng Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Flow Cytometry ◽

Wound Healing ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Opposite Effect ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Colorectal Cancer Cells ◽

Reporter Assays ◽

E Cadherin

Abstract Background: Circ_0026344 was reported to be associated with the metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate the expression of circ_0026344 in CRC and the effect mechanisms of circ_0026344 on CRC.Methods: The expressions of circ_0026344 and miR-31 in clinical CRC tissues or CRC cell lines were analyzed by qPCR. The target of circ_0026344 was predicted and verified by CircInteractome and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The correlation between circ_0026344 and miR-31 expression was analyzed using Pearson analysis. After the CRC cells were overexpressed circ_0026344 or miR-31 or silenced circ_0026344, the viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of CRC cells were evaluated by CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, and transwell. Also, the expressions of miR-31, Bcl-2, Bax, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in the cells were detected by qPCR or Western blot. Results: Circ_0026344 was low-expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0026344 sponged miR-31 which was high-expressed in CRC tissues. The expression of circ_0026344 was negatively correlated to the expression of miR-31. The miR-31 expression could be down-regulated by circ_0026344 overexpression. Circ_0026344 overexpression inhibited the cell viability, migration, and invasion; and enhanced the apoptosis of CRC cells. Circ_0026344 overexpression decreased the expressions of Bcl-2 and N-cadherin and increased the expressions of Bax and E-cadherin in CRC cells. Circ_0026344 silencing and miR-31 overexpression had an opposite effect on CRC cells as circ_0026344 overexpression. Furthermore, miR-31 overexpression counteracted the effect of circ_0026344 overexpression.Conclusion: Circ_0026344 overexpression inhibited the migration, invasion, and enhanced apoptosis of CRC cells by sponging miR-31.

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hsa_circ_0000231 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Cell Growth Through Upregulation of CCND2 by IGF2BP3/miR-375 Dual Pathway

10.21203/rs.3.rs-47893/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wei Zhang ◽

Bo Wang ◽

Yang Yang ◽

Zhen Zhang ◽

Quan Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

In Situ Hybridization ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Circular Rnas ◽

Cancer Cell Growth ◽

Normal Tissues

Abstract Background circular RNAs (circRNAs) recently have been emerged as vital regulators for involvement of initiation and progression of diverse kinds of human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the role of circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods The expression profile of circRNAs in 5 pairs of CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were analyzed by Microarray. Quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization and Base Scope Assay were used to determine the level and prognostic values of hsa_circ_0000231. Then, functional experiments in vitro and in vivo were performed to investigate the effects of hsa_circ_0000231 on cell proliferation. Mechanistically, fluorescent in situ hybridization, dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation experiments were performed to confirm the interaction between hsa_circ_0000231 and IGF2BP3 or has_miR-375. Results hsa_circ_0000231 was evidently up-regulated in CRC primary tissues, which was indicated to poor prognosis of CRC patients. The results demonstrated that hsa_circ_0000231 could promote CRC cell proliferation as well as tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analysis showed that hsa_circ_0000231 might on the one hand act as a ceRNA (competing endogenous RNA) of miR-375 to regulate cyclin D2 (CCND2), and on the other hand bind to IGF2BP3 protein to protect CCND2 from being degraded. Conclusion Our findings suggest that hsa_circ_0000231 facilitated CRC progression by sponging miR-375 or binding to IGF2BP3 to modulate CCND2. This discovery implied that has_circ_0000231 may be a potential new diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for CRC.

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Circular RNA CCDC66 Improves Murine Double Minute 4 (MDM4) Expression through Targeting miR-370 in Colorectal Cancer

Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine ◽

10.1155/2022/7723995 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 2022 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Yang Mo ◽

Qin Lu ◽

Qi Zhang ◽

Jie Chen ◽

Youming Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Circular Rna ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Colon And Rectal Cancer ◽

Double Minute ◽

Reporter Assays ◽

Hct 116 ◽

Murine Double Minute

Introduction. Colorectal cancer (CRC), a common digestive tract tumor that contains colon and rectal cancer, is one of the three most common cancers globally. circRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of CRC, but the mechanism of how they participate in this process remains unclear. Methods. We adopted PCR for expression measure, CCK-8 for cell proliferation detection, Transwell for cell migration and invasion detection, and dual-luciferase reporter assays to detect the potential downstream targets of CCDC66 in CRC. Results. This study showed that circRNA CCDC66 was overexpressed in CRC tissues, and after knockdown, it inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells (RKO and HCT-116) in vitro. In addition, the dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that there was a binding site between circCCDC66 and miR-370, as well as between miR-370 and murine double minute 4 (MDM4). That is, circCCDC66 upregulated the expression of MDM4 through competitively binding to miR-370. The expression of circCCDC66 in CRC tissues was positively correlated with MDM4 and negatively correlated with miR-370. Conclusion. In summary, our results indicate that circCCDC66 is a key upregulation of CRC. circCCDC66 upregulates MDM4 through competitive binding to miR-370, thereby enhancing the metastatic ability of CRC cells and promoting the development of CRC.

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Long Noncoding RNA LINC00958 Suppresses Apoptosis and Radiosensitivity of Colorectal Cancer Through Targeting miR-422a

10.21203/rs.3.rs-591977/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hong Liang ◽

Qiuyan Zhao ◽

Zhonglin Zhu ◽

Chao Zhang ◽

Hui Zhang

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Noncoding Rna ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Flow Cytometric ◽

Potential Biomarker ◽

Reporter Assays ◽

Cancer Tissues

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been elucidated to participate in the development and progression of various cancers. In this study, we aim to explore the underlying functions and mechanisms of LINC00958 in colorectal cancer. Methods: LINC00958 expression in colorectal cancer tissues was examined by qRT-PCR. The associations between LINC00958 expression with clinical characteristics and prognosis were evaluated. The biological functions of LINC00958 were detected by CCK-8, MTT, colony formation and Flow cytometric analyses. RNA-pull down, RIP and luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the regulation of LINC00958 on miR-422a. Rescue experiments were performed to detect the effects of miR-422a on the roles of LINC00958. Results: LINC00958 was upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines; high LINC00958 level was significantly associated with tumor differentiation, T stage and TNM stage, and also predicted poor prognosis. Cell experiments showed that LINC00958 promoted cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis and the sensitivity of radiotherapy in vitro, and promoted cell growth in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding site of miR-422a on LINC00958. Mechanistically, RNA-pull down, RIP and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that LINC00958 specially targeted miR-422a. In addition, we provided evidence that miR-422a suppressed MAPK1 expression through directly binding to the 3’-UTR of MAPK1, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation and enhancing apoptosis and the radiosensitivity. Furthermore, miR-422a rescued the roles of LINC00958 on promoting MAPK1 expression and cell proliferation and decreasing apoptosis and the radiosensitivity. Conclusions: LINC00958 promoted MAPK1 expression and cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis and the radiosensitivity through targeting miR-422a, highlighting a potential biomarker for the prognosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.

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CRP Stimulates GDF15 Expression in Endothelial Cells through p53

Mediators of Inflammation ◽

10.1155/2018/8278039 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Yoonseo Kim ◽

Nicole Noren Hooten ◽

Michele K. Evans

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Aortic Endothelial Cells ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Direct Target Gene ◽

Reporter Assays ◽

Direct Target ◽

Human Aortic Endothelial Cells

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a multifunctional, secreted protein that is a direct target gene of p53. GDF15 is a prospective biomarker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). C-reactive protein (CRP), like GDF15, is implicated in inflammation and an independent biomarker of CVD. However, the molecular interactions between GDF15 and CRP remain unexplored. In women, we found a significant relationship between hsCRP and GDF15 serum and mRNA levels. In vitro treatment of cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) with purified CRP or transfection of a CRP plasmid into HAECs induced GDF15 expression. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that CRP significantly increased the levels of GDF15 promoter luciferase activity, indicating that CRP induces GDF15 transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed that p53 was recruited to both p53 binding sites 1 and 2 in the GDF15 promoter in response to CRP. We have uncovered a linkage between CRP and GDF15, a new clue that could be important in the pathogenesis of endothelial inflammation.

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Long noncoding RNA LINC00958 suppresses apoptosis and radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer through targeting miR-422a

Cancer Cell International ◽

10.1186/s12935-021-02188-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hong Liang ◽

Qiuyan Zhao ◽

Zhonglin Zhu ◽

Chao Zhang ◽

Hui Zhang

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Cell Apoptosis ◽

Noncoding Rna ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Potential Biomarker ◽

Reporter Assays ◽

Cancer Tissues

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been elucidated to participate in the development and progression of various cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the underlying functions and mechanisms of LINC00958 in colorectal cancer. Methods LINC00958 expression in colorectal cancer tissues was examined by qRT-PCR. The correlations between LINC00958 expression and clinical characteristics and prognosis were evaluated. The biological functions of LINC00958 were detected by CCK-8, MTT, colony formation and flow cytometric analyses. RNA pulldown, RIP and luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the regulatory effects of LINC00958 on miR-422a. Rescue experiments were performed to detect the effects of miR-422a on the roles of LINC00958. Results LINC00958 was upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. High LINC00958 levels were positively associated with T stage and predicted poor prognosis. Cell experiments showed that LINC00958 promoted cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis and sensitivity to radiotherapy in vitro and promoted tumor growth in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding site of miR-422a on LINC00958. Mechanistically, RNA pulldown, RIP and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that LINC00958 specifically targeted miR-422a. In addition, we found that miR-422a suppressed MAPK1 expression by directly binding to the 3’-UTR of MAPK1, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation and enhancing cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity. Furthermore, miR-422a rescued the roles of LINC00958 in promoting MAPK1 expression and cell proliferation and decreasing cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity. Conclusions LINC00958 promoted MAPK1 expression and cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity by targeting miR-422a, which suggests that it is a potential biomarker for the prognosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.

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