MiR-182 Enhanced the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Malignant Melanoma Cells by Modulating Zinc Finger Protein 36, C3H Type-Like 1 (ZFP36L1)

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most aggressive skin cancer based on the enhanced proliferative and metastatic ability of melanocytes. Recently, some studies have revealed that higher levels of ZFP36L1 suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of multiple types of cancer cells. By searching the database, it was found that miR-182 has the potential to target ZFP36L1 and reduce ZFP36L1 expression. However, whether the possible effects of miR-182 on the development of malignant melanoma and the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. Materials and Methods: ZFP36L1 and miR-182 expression levels in malignant melanoma cell lines were examined by performing western blotting and RT-qPCR. Then, CCK-8, wound healing and transwell assays were exploited to determine the potential roles of ZFP36L1 and miR-182in MM cells, respectively. Results: In this study, aberrant downregulation of ZFP36L1 was observed in MM cell lines (WM-115, A375). ZFP36L1 overexpression repressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of MM cells. Besides, bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-182 directly target ZFP36L1 and suppressed ZFP36L1 expression. What’s more, miR-182 weakened the inhibitory efficacy of ZFP36L1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of these two cells. Conclusions: The study validated that miR-182 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of malignant melanoma cells through the repression of ZFP36L1.