Identification of a novel microRNA-mRNA regulatory biomodule in human prostate cancer

Cell Death Dis. 2018 Feb 21;9(3):301. doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-0293-7.

Abstract

Our recent study identified a list of differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) in human prostate cancer (PCa) tissues compared to adjacent benign prostate tissues. In the current study, to identify the crucial miRNA-mRNA regulatory biomodule involved into prostate carcinogenesis based on the previous miRNA expression profile in PCa, we proposed an integrated systematic approach which combined miRNA-mediated gene expression regulatory network analysis, experimental validations in vitro and in vivo, as well as clinical significance evaluation. As a result, the CCND1-RNASEL-CDKN1A-TP73-MDM2-UBE2I axis was identified as a bottleneck in the miRNA-mediated gene expression regulatory network of PCa according to network topological analysis. The direct binding relationship between TP73 and PCa downregulated miR-193a-5p, and the direct binding relationship between UBE2I and PCa upregulated miR-188-5p were both experimentally validated. In addition, miR-193a-5p had a more significant regulatory effect on the tumor promoter isoform of TP73-deltaNp73 than on the tumor suppressive isoform of TP73-TAp73. Importantly, the deregulation of either the miR-193a-5p-TP73 or miR-188-5p-UBE2I axes was significantly associated with aggressive progression and poor prognosis in PCa patients. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments showed that miR-193a-5p efficiently inhibited in vitro PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and in vivo tumor growth, and markedly induced PCa cell apoptosis via regulating TP73 with a corresponding suppression of the CCND1-RNASEL-CDKN1A-MDM2 axis. In contrast, miR-188-5p exerted its tumor promoter roles through targeting UBE2I with a subsequent activation of the CCND1-RNASEL-CDKN1A-MDM2 axis. Taken together, this integrated analysis revealed the potential roles of the miR-193a-5p/TP73 and miR-188-5p/UBE2i negative regulation pairs in PCa. In addition to the significant clinical relevance, miR-193a-5p- and miR-188-5p-regulated CCND1-RNASEL-CDKN1A-TP73-MDM2-UBE2I signaling may be a novel regulatory biomodule in prostate carcinogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cohort Studies
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Tumor Protein p73 / genetics
  • Tumor Protein p73 / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / metabolism

Substances

  • MIRN188 microRNA, human
  • MIRN193 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Messenger
  • TP73 protein, human
  • Tumor Protein p73
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes
  • ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC9