miR-135a-5p exerts tumor-suppressive effects in 769P renal carcinoma cells through the TFAP2A/KRT8 signaling axis.

The oncogenic roles of microRNAs have been extensively documented across various cancer types. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the functional impact of miR-135a-5p on the clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cell line 769P. Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified a significant association between miR-135a-5p and ccRCC progression. Furthermore, miR-135a-5p expression was downregulated in both ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Functional assays demonstrated that miR-135a-5p inhibits the progression of 769P cells. Mechanistically, miR-135a-5p directly binds to the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of TFAP2A, reducing its mRNA stability. In turn, TFAP2A binds to the promoter region of KRT8 and activates its transcription, thereby mediating the inhibitory effect of miR-135a-5p on 769P cell progression. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that miR-135a-5p suppresses ccRCC progression in 769P cells through the TFAP2A/KRT8 axis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for ccRCC.