Abstract 2086: Regulation of Axl receptor tyrosine kinase expression, invasion and metastasis by miR-34a and mir-199a/b

Abstract

Abstract Axl is a receptor tyrosine kinase over-expressed in different human cancers which induces proliferation, migration and invasion. In this study, we show that specific microRNAs (miR) can target the 3’-UTR of Axl and can modulate its expression. By a bioinformatics approach, we found conserved target sites for miR-34 and miR-199 within the Axl-3’-UTR at 31-49 nt and 29-56 nt, respectively. Luciferase-reporter assays with wild-type and deleted miR-34 and −199 seed sequences of Axl-3′UTR confirmed the specificity of targeting. An inverse correlation between Axl protein and miR-34a expression in a panel of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal (CRC) and breast cancer (BRC) cell lines was observed, while no miR-199a or 199b expression was detected. Transient transfection of antagonist-miR or pre-miR for miR-34a and 199a significantly induced and reduced Axl-protein levels, respectively. Pre-miR transfection was able to inhibit in vitro migration and invasion of H1299 and RKO cells and, in vivo, to reduce the number of distant lung- or liver-metastasis in a chicken-embryo-metastasis assay. Moreover, methylation specific PCR on bisulfite-converted DNA obtained from the cell lines showed that the miR-34a promoter methylation status was significantly correlated with Axl expression, and that miR-199a/b promoter regions were methylated in all the cell lines tested. These results suggest that Axl receptor, together with its role in cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis formation, can be regulated by miR34a and 199a/199b, and that one of the reasons for its over-expression in tumors can be the methylation of DNA that encodes these specific miRs which target Axl expression. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2086.