MiR-20a Regulates Proliferation And Invasion Of Lung Cancer Cells

ObjectsMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of small non-coding RNAs. MiRNAs are participative in many physiological and pathological progresses. Recent indicate that special miRNAs may function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors and play a critical role in cancer initiation and progression by negatively regulating their target genes. Many reports implicate that they are very important regulatory molecules in cancer cells proliferation and metastasis. The object of this study was to determine the regulation of miRNA-20a on growth and invasion of human lung cancer cells and to identify its target.MethodsTo identify the effect of miR-20a on the metastasis of A549lung cancer cell, miR-20a was either blocked or overexpressed in human lung cancer cell line A549and the cell proliferation was detected with MTT assay and clony formation assay. The impact of miR-20a on cell invasion was detected with transwell invasion assay. Furthermore, the mRNA levels and protein levels of target genes in both miR-20a inhibited and over-expressed lung cancer cells were detected with semi-quantitative RT-PCR and western blot, in order to confirm the regulating role of miR-20a in target gene expression.ResultsWhen suppression of miR-20a, the colony formation activity and invasion activity of A549were both inhibited. While miR-20a was over-expessed, the colony formation activity and invasion activity of A549were both promoted. Furthermore, miR-20a had no effect on the vitality of A549cell. As miR-20a function was inhibited in lung cancer cell line, mRNA level of APP and CCND1were both elevated, protein level of APP was enhanced. However, miR-20a function was over-expressed, the result is opposite.ConelusionsOur results indicate that miR-20a promotes cell metastasis and proliferation in A549cells. Through our studies, we successfully identified two target genes of miR-20a, and confirmed the impact of miR-20a on regulating the processes of cell proliferation and invasion.