Open AccessMicroRNA-141 suppresses prostate cancer stem cells and metastasis by targeting a cohort of pro-metastasis genes
Author(s) -
Can Liu,
Ruifang Liu,
Dingxiao Zhang,
Qu Deng,
Bigang Liu,
Hsueh-Ping Chao,
Kiera Rycaj,
Yoko Takata,
Kevin Lin,
Yue Lu,
Yi Zhong,
John J. Krolewski,
Jianjun Shen,
Dean G. Tang
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
nature communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.559
H-Index - 365
ISSN - 2041-1723
DOI - 10.1038/ncomms14270
Subject(s) - metastasis , microrna , cancer stem cell , cd44 , biology , cancer research , stem cell , prostate cancer , cancer , progenitor cell , transcriptome , epithelial–mesenchymal transition , cell , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , genetics
MicroRNAs play important roles in regulating tumour development, progression and metastasis. Here we show that one of the miR-200 family members, miR-141, is under-expressed in several prostate cancer (PCa) stem/progenitor cell populations in both xenograft and primary patient tumours. Enforced expression of miR-141 in CD44 + and bulk PCa cells inhibits cancer stem cell properties including holoclone and sphere formation, as well as invasion, and suppresses tumour regeneration and metastasis. Moreover, miR-141 expression enforces a strong epithelial phenotype with a partial loss of mesenchymal phenotype. Whole-genome RNA sequencing uncovers novel miR-141-regulated molecular targets in PCa cells including the Rho GTPase family members (for example, CDC42, CDC42EP3, RAC1 and ARPC5) and stem cell molecules CD44 and EZH2, all of which are validated as direct and functionally relevant targets of miR-141. Our results suggest that miR-141 employs multiple mechanisms to obstruct tumour growth and metastasis.