Open AccessmiR-137 mediates the functional link between c-Myc and EZH2 that regulates cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer
Author(s) -
Jing Sun,
Xin Cai,
Mingo M. H. Yung,
Wei Zhou,
Jing Li,
Yi Zhang,
Zhuqing Li,
Stephanie S. Liu,
Annie N.Y. Cheung,
Hextan Y.S. Ngan,
Yiliang Li,
Zhijun Dai,
Yan Kai,
Alexandros Tzatsos,
Weiqun Peng,
David Chan,
Wenge Zhu
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
oncogene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.395
H-Index - 342
eISSN - 1476-5594
pISSN - 0950-9232
DOI - 10.1038/s41388-018-0459-x
Subject(s) - cisplatin , ezh2 , biology , cancer research , ovarian cancer , microrna , cancer , cancer cell , gene expression , gene , chemotherapy , genetics
Platinum drugs are used in first-line to treat ovarian cancer, but most of the patients eventually generate resistance after treatment with these drugs. Although both c-Myc and EZH2 have been implicated in regulating cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, the interplay between these two regulators is poorly understood. Using RNA sequence analysis (RNA-seq), for the first time we find that miR-137 level is extremely low in cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cells, correlating with higher levels of c-Myc and EZH2 expression. Further analyses indicate that in resistant cells c-Myc enhances the expression of EZH2 by directly suppressing miR-137 that targets EZH2 mRNA, and increased expression of EZH2 activates cellular survival pathways, resulting in the resistance to cisplatin. Inhibition of c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway re-sensitizes resistant cells to cisplatin. Both in vivo and in vitro analyses indicate that cisplatin treatment activates c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway. Importantly, elevated c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway in resistant cells is sustained by dual oxidase maturation factor 1 (DUOXA1)-mediated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Significantly, clinical studies further confirm the activated c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway in platinum drug-resistant or recurrent ovarian cancer patients. Thus, our studies elucidate a novel role of miR-137 in regulating c-Myc-EZH2 axis that is crucial to the regulation of cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer.