A ZEB1-miR-375-YAP1 pathway regulates epithelial plasticity in prostate cancer

Oncogene. 2017 Jan 5;36(1):24-34. doi: 10.1038/onc.2016.185. Epub 2016 Jun 6.

Abstract

MicroRNA-375 (miR-375) is frequently elevated in prostate tumors and cell-free fractions of patient blood, but its role in genesis and progression of prostate cancer is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-375 is inversely correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition signatures (EMT) in clinical samples and can drive mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) in model systems. Indeed, miR-375 potently inhibited invasion and migration of multiple prostate cancer lines. The transcription factor YAP1 was found to be a direct target of miR-375 in prostate cancer. Knockdown of YAP1 phenocopied miR-375 overexpression, and overexpression of YAP1 rescued anti-invasive effects mediated by miR-375. Furthermore, transcription of the miR-375 gene was shown to be directly repressed by the EMT transcription factor, ZEB1. Analysis of multiple patient cohorts provided evidence for this ZEB1-miR-375-YAP1 regulatory circuit in clinical samples. Despite its anti-invasive and anti-EMT capacities, plasma miR-375 was found to be correlated with circulating tumor cells in men with metastatic disease. Collectively, this study provides new insight into the function of miR-375 in prostate cancer, and more broadly identifies a novel pathway controlling epithelial plasticity and tumor cell invasion in this disease.

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics*
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics*
  • Epithelium / metabolism
  • Epithelium / pathology
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / metabolism
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transcription Factors
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1 / genetics
  • Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Biomarkers
  • MIRN375 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • YAP1 protein, human
  • Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met