Dysregulation of MicroRNA-543 expression in colorectal cancer promotes tumor migration and invasion.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to act as key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, involved in the genesis and development of multiple tumor types. However, the expression and roles of miR-543 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. Here, we found that miR-543 was constitutively up-regulated in CRC tissues and its over-expression promoted tumor cell migration and invasion. Moreover, we identified PTEN as a direct target of miR-543 using subsequent software analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay. In conclusion, data presented here demonstrate that miR-543 acts as a tumor promoter and plays a vital role in CRC metastasis. These findings confirm that miR-543 may potentially serve as a novel therapeutic target for treating CRC. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.