miR-221-5p enhances cell proliferation and metastasis through post-transcriptional regulation of SOCS1 in human prostate cancer

• Main Authors: Ning Shao, Gui Ma, Jinying Zhang, Wei Zhu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2018-03-01
• Series: BMC Urology
• Subjects: Prostate cancer; miR-221-5p; SOCS1; Cell proliferation; Cell migration; Tumor xenograft
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12894-018-0325-8

Abstract Background To investigate the effect of miR-221-5p on cell proliferaton and metastasis of human prostate cancer in vitro and vivo. Methods We established PC3 cell lines with stable overexpression or silencing of miRNA-221-5p via lentivirus infection. miRNA-221-5p and its target gene SOCS1 expression levels in the stable cells were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. Using luciferase reporter assays to study the relationship between miR-221-5p and SOCS1. Cell proliferative activity was measured using the MTT assay and colony formation assay. Migration ability was assessed using wound-healing assay and transwell assay. To further study the function of miR-221-5p in human prostate cancer we established nude mice xenograft model in vivo. Results miR-221-5p regulates the proliferation, migration of prostate cancer cells in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo by regulating socs1 expression through targeted its 3’UTR, and miR-221-5p regulates MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and EMT features in prostate cancer cells. Conclusions Up-regulation and silencing of miR-221-5p expression in prostate cancer cells are correlated with cell proliferation, migration and tumorigenesis, which suggest that miR-221-5p plays an important role in prostate cancer progression.