Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common neoplasm of the adult kidney, and clear cell RCC (ccRCC) represents its most common histological subtype. To identify a therapeutic target for ccRCC, miRNA expression signatures from ccRCC clinical specimens were analyzed. miRNA microarray and real-time PCR analyses revealed that miR-629 expression was significantly upregulated in human ccRCC compared with adjacent noncancerous renal tissue. Functional inhibition of miR-629 by a hairpin miRNA inhibitor suppressed ccRCC cell motility and invasion. Mechanistically, miR-629 directly targeted tripartite motif-containing 33 (TRIM33), which inhibits the TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway. In clinical ccRCC specimens, downregulation of TRIM33 was observed with the association of both pathologic stages and grades. The miR-629 inhibitor significantly suppressed TGFβ-induced Smad activation by upregulating TRIM33 expression and subsequently inhibited the association of Smad2/3 and Smad4. Moreover, a miR-629 mimic enhanced the effect of TGFβ on the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related factors as well as on the motility and invasion in ccRCC cells. These findings identify miR-629 as a potent regulator of the TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway via TRIM33 in ccRCC.
Implications: This study suggests that miR-629 has biomarker potential through its ability to regulate TGFβ/Smad signaling and accelerate ccRCC cell motility and invasion.
©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.