Methods: The expression levels of miR-101 in laryngeal squamous cell ... Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) as the target of miR-101 by a luciferase assay.
Li et al. J Transl Med (2015) 13:271 DOI 10.1186/s12967-015-0626-6
Open Access
RESEARCH
MicroRNA‑101 is a potential prognostic indicator of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and modulates CDK8 MingHua Li1†, LinLi Tian2†, Hui Ren3†, XiaoXue Chen1, Yu Wang2, JingChun Ge2, ShuLiang Wu4, YaNan Sun1, Ming Liu1* and Hui Xiao2*
Abstract Background: Various microRNAs (miRNAs) negatively modulate genes that are involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, invasion, and apoptosis. In many types of cancer, the expression profiles of these miRNAs are altered. Recently, miR-101 was identified as a tumour suppressor and was found to be expressed at low levels in various types of tumours, including prostate, breast, endometrium, and bladder cancers. However, the function(s) of miR-101 in laryngeal carcinoma remain unknown. Methods: The expression levels of miR-101 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) tissues and cells were detected by qPCR. Cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis assay were applied to assess the function(s) of miR-101 in vitro. Nude mice subcutaneous tumour model was used to perform in vivo study. Moreover, we identified Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) as the target of miR-101 by a luciferase assay. The possible downstream effectors of CDK8 were investigated in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Changes of CDK8, β-catenin, and cyclin D1 protein levels were analyzed by western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. The prognostic effect of miR-101 was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Expression of miR-101 was down-regulated in the LSCC tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, downregulation of miR-101 correlated with T3–4 tumour grade, lymph node metastasis, and an advanced clinical stage in the LSCC patients examined (P
