MiR-451a targets mex-3 RNA binding family member C to regulate human hepatoblastoma G2 cell growth and metastasis.

BACKGROUND

Aberrant microRNAs expression and associated pathways have been proved participate in regulation vast various physiologic and pathologic processed of different human cancers including liver cancer. While, the function of miR-451a in liver cancer still indistinct.

AIM: To study the effect of miR-451a in liver cancer development.

METHODS

GeneChip microarray analysis performed to detect miR-451a expression in liver cancer tissues and normal liver tissues. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to validate the expression of miR-451a in liver cancer cell and other tumor cell lines. Construction of liver cancer cell lines that stably overexpressed miR-451a by transfecting Lentivirus produced by Genechem company. Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium (MTT) bromide assay and colony formation assay to determine the effect of miR-451a in liver cancer cell proliferation. Flow cytometry used to investigate whether miR-451a involved in liver cancer cell apoptosis. Cell migration ability was measured via wound scratch assay. Target gene was explored by bioinformatic analysis, and downstream molecule of miR-451a in liver cancer identified by rescue experiments.

RESULTS

MiR-451a expression significantly downregulation in liver cancer tissues compared with that in normal liver tissue. MiR-451a also obviously low-expressed in liver cancer cell, colorectal carcinoma cell and esophageal carcinoma cell lines. Human hepatoblastoma G2 (HepG2) and BEL-7404 cell lines that stably overexpressed miR-451a by transfecting lentivirus constructed successfully. MTT bromide assay and colony formation assay showed that the overexpressed miR-451a inhibit HepG2 cell proliferation viability, but not BEL-7404 cell. Flow cytometry determined that miR-451a regulating proliferation not through inducing apoptosis. Wound scratch assay revealed that miR-451a overexpression suppressed HepG2 cell migration. Furthermore, mex-3 RNA binding family member C was predicted as the target gene by bioinformatic analysis, and rescue experiments confirmed the hypothesis.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, miR-451a may be candidate miRNA for understanding molecular mechanisms of liver cancer development and novel target in liver cancer cell.