MicroRNA‑183 inhibits A375 human melanoma cell migration and invasion by targeting Ezrin and MMP‑9

To assess the influence of microRNA-183 (miR-183) on the migration and invasion of A375 human melanoma cells, an A375 cell line with stable miR-183 overexpression or knockdown was constructed using lentiviral transfection. The change of miR-183 expression in these cells and in non-transfected controls was verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The impact of miR-183 on experimental A375 cell migration and invasion was assessed using a scratch and Transwell assay. The expression of Ezrin and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), which are two mediator proteins that serve roles in tumor cell migration and invasion, were analyzed in each cell group via western blotting. The results of the present study indicated that miR-183 overexpression significantly inhibits A375 cell migration and invasion, which may be facilitated by miR-183 knockdown. Furthermore, Ezrin and MMP-9 protein levels were negatively associated with miR-183 expression, indicating that miR-183 may function as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting the expression of these two proteins. Additionally, miR-183 downregulation may be associated with the progression of melanoma.