Upregulation of miR-614 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in ovarian cancer by suppressing PPP2R2A expression.

Abstract

It has previously been demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) have essential roles and participate in various biological processes by regulating their specific target genes. However, the precise role of miRNAs in ovarian cancer (OC) has not yet been elucidated. The present study demonstrated that miR-614 expression levels were significantly upregulated in OC tissues and cell lines, whereas decreased miR-614 demonstrated opposite effects. Furthermore, gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments indicated that miR-614 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis. Protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B α, (PPP2R2A) was identified as a direct target of miR-614 using western blotting and luciferase reporter assays. Notably, silencing of PPP2R2A counter-acted the effect of miR-614 inhibitor in OC cell proliferation and cell apoptosis. Overall, the data suggested that miR-614 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis of OC cells by targeting PPP2R2A, and may therefore act as a potential target for OC therapy in the future.