Open AccessmiR-19a Promotes Cell Growth and Tumorigenesis through Targeting SOCS1 in Gastric Cancer
Author(s) -
Shuang Qin,
Fang Ai,
Wei-Fang Ji,
Rao Wang,
He-Cheng Zhang,
Wenjian Yao
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of cancer prevention
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2476-762X
pISSN - 1513-7368
DOI - 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.2.835
Subject(s) - suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 , microrna , gene silencing , cancer research , carcinogenesis , cancer , cell growth , ectopic expression , suppressor , biology , cytokine , cancer cell , transfection , immunology , cell culture , gene , genetics
Accumulating evidence has shown that microRNAs are involved in cancer development and progression. However, it remains unknown about the potential role of miR-19a in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. Here, we report that suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) is a novel target of miR-19a in gastric cancer cells and that miR-19a expression is inversely correlated with SOCS1 expression in gastric cancer cells and a subset of gastric cancer tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-19a dramatically promoted proliferation and tumorigenicity of gastric cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we showed that silencing of SOCS1 promoted cell growth and colony formation resembling that of miR-19a overexpression, whereas re-introduction of SOCS1 (without the 3'-UTR) attenuated the pro-tumorigenic functions. Taken together, our findings suggest that the SOCS1 gene is a direct target of miR-19a, which functions as an oncogenic miRNA in gastric cancer by repressing the expression of tumor suppressor SOCS1.