MicroRNA‐331‐3p inhibits epithelial‐mesenchymal transition by targeting ErbB2 and VAV2 through the Rac1/PAK1/β‐catenin axis in non‐small‐cell lung cancer
Open Access
- 7 April 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Cancer Science
- Vol. 110 (6), 1883-1896
- https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.14014
Abstract
MicroRNAs have been demonstrated to have critical roles in the regulation of NSCLC development, but the role of microRNA‐331‐3p in NSCLC is still unclear. In this study, the expression levels of miR‐331‐3p in NSCLC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were examined by qRT‐PCR, and the relationship between miR‐331‐3p expression and patient clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. The effects of miR‐331‐3p on epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and metastasis of NSCLC cells were determined in vitro and vivo. Direct functional targets of miR‐331‐3p were identified by luciferase reporter assay, Western blot assay, immunohistochemical staining, and rescue assay. The downstream pathway regulated by miR‐331‐3p was identified by immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation and Rac1 activity examination. Our results showed that miR‐331‐3p was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tumor tissues and was correlated with clinicopathological characteristics, and miR‐331‐3p could be an independent prognostic marker for NSCLC patients. Furthermore, miR‐331‐3p significantly suppressed EMT migration and metastasis of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Both ErbB2 and VAV2 were direct functional targets of miR‐331‐3p. The activities of Rac1, PAK1, and β‐catenin were regulated by miR‐331‐3p via ErbB2 and VAV2 targeting. These results indicated that miR‐331‐3p suppresses EMT, migratory capacity, and metastatic ability by targeting ErbB2 and VAV2 through the Rac1/PAK1/β‐Catenin axis in NSCLC.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (81602027)
This publication has 39 references indexed in Scilit:
- MicroRNA-331-3p promotes proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting PH domain and leucine-rich repeat protein phosphataseHepatology, 2014
- Lnc RNA HOTAIR functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate HER2 expression by sponging miR-331-3p in gastric cancerMolecular Cancer, 2014
- HER2-positive gastric cancerGastric Cancer, 2013
- SnapShot: Non-Small Cell Lung CancerCancer Cell, 2012
- miRWalk – Database: Prediction of possible miRNA binding sites by “walking” the genes of three genomesJournal of Biomedical Informatics, 2011
- Causes and consequences of microRNA dysregulation in cancerNature Reviews Genetics, 2009
- HER2/Neu (ErbB2) Signaling to Rac1-Pak1 Is Temporally and Spatially Modulated by Transforming Growth Factor βCancer Research, 2006
- MicroRNAs: Genomics, Biogenesis, Mechanism, and FunctionCell, 2004
- Hyaluronan Promotes CD44v3-Vav2 Interaction with Grb2-p185HER2 and Induces Rac1 and Ras Signaling during Ovarian Tumor Cell Migration and GrowthPublished by Elsevier BV ,2001
- Structure and function of vavCellular Signalling, 1996