MicroRNA-654-5p suppresses ovarian cancer development impacting on MYC, WNT and AKT pathways

Oncogene. 2019 Aug;38(32):6035-6050. doi: 10.1038/s41388-019-0860-0. Epub 2019 Jul 5.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy due to the silent nature on its early onset and the rapid acquisition of drug resistance. Histologically heterogeneous, it includes several subtypes with different mutational landscapes, hampering the development of effective targeted therapies. Non-coding RNAs are emerging as potential new therapeutic targets in cancer. To search for a microRNA signature related to ovarian carcinomas and study its potential as effective targeted therapy, we examined the expression of 768 miRNA in a large collection of tumor samples and found miR-654-5p to be infraexpressed in ovarian serous carcinomas, the most common and aggressive type. Restoration of miR-654-5p levels reduced tumor cell viability in vitro and in vivo and impaired sphere formation capacity and viability of ovarian cancer patient-derived ascitic cells ex vivo. CDCP1 and PLAGL2 oncogenes were found to be the most relevant direct miR-654-5p targets and both genes convey in a molecular signature associated with key cancer pathways relevant to ovarian tumorigenesis, such as MYC, WNT and AKT pathways. Together, we unveiled the tumor suppressor function of miR-654-5p, suggesting that its restoration or co-targeting of CDCP1 and PLAGL2 may be an effective therapeutic approach for ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Carcinogenesis / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial / pathology
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / genetics
  • Wnt1 Protein / genetics
  • Wnt1 Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • CDCP1 protein, human
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • MIRN654 microRNA, human
  • MYC protein, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • PLAGL2 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Wnt1 Protein
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt