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Abstract
Simple SummaryColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause for cancer related death, in which metastasis exerts a pivotal role. Therefore, we aim to find out the possible mechanism underlying CRC metastasis. We found that the level of miR-125b was elevated in normal, primary CRC, and distant metastasis tissues stepwise, and high level miR-125b was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and tumor differentiation. In vitro and in vivo assays showed miR-125b significantly promoted CRC migration and invasion. To elucidate the potential mechanism, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and cingulin (CGN) were defined as two target genes of miR-125b. On the one hand, miR-125b promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the production and secretion of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) by inhibiting CFTR; on the other hand, miR-125b activated Ras Homolog Family Member A (RhoA)/Rho Kinase (ROCK) signaling by repressing CGN. Therefore, we provided a potential biomarker for CRC prevention and treatment in the future.Metastasis contributes to the poor prognosis of colorectal cancer, the causative factor of which is not fully understood. Previously, we found that miR-125b (Accession number: MIMAT0000423) contributed to cetuximab resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we identified a novel mechanism by which miR-125b enhances metastasis by targeting cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and the tight junction-associated adaptor cingulin (CGN) in CRC. We found that miR-125b expression was upregulated in primary CRC tumors and metastatic sites compared with adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression of miR-125b in CRC cells enhanced migration capacity, while knockdown of miR-125b decreased migration and invasion. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and dual-luciferase reporter assays identified CFTR and CGN as the target genes of miR-125b, and the inhibitory impact of CFTR and CGN on metastasis was further verified both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found that miR-125b facilitated the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and the expression and secretion of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) by targeting CFTR and enhanced the Ras Homolog Family Member A (RhoA)/Rho Kinase (ROCK) pathway activity by targeting CGN. Together, these findings suggest miR-125b as a key functional molecule in CRC and a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with up to 1.8 million new cases diagnosed every year [1]
We found that miR-125b was elevated in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastatic tissues and that high levels of miR-125b promoted cell migration and invasion
We discovered the potential mechanisms of miR-125b to promote CRC metastasis, and miR-125b could be a novel biomarker for CRC diagnosis and treatment (Figure 8D)
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with up to 1.8 million new cases diagnosed every year [1]. Other studies indicated that miR-125b promotes CRC metastasis by targeting MCL1 [5] and enhances 5-FU resistance by activating the APC-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway [6]. MiR-125b was reported as a cancer suppressor in other cancer types, such as breast cancer [7] and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma [8]. These findings suggest that miR-125b exerts a context-dependent role in cancer development, and it is of particular interest to find novel miR-125b targets that are causally involved in CRC carcinogenesis
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