Published in:
01-11-2014 | Research Article
miR-144 suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting E2F3
Authors:
Tingjia Cao, Hanjun Li, Yilin Hu, Dandan Ma, Xun Cai
Published in:
Tumor Biology
|
Issue 11/2014
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Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). miR-144 acts as a tumor suppressor in some malignancies, while its role in HCC is unclear. Here, we found that miR-144 was significantly decreased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Forced overexpression of miR-144 remarkably reduced cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and suppressed migration and invasion of HCC cells. E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) was identified as a target of miR-144 in HCC cells. Moreover, E2F3 overexpression partially attenuated the tumor suppressive effects of miR-144, and the expression of E2F3 was negatively correlated with miR-144 level in HCC tissues. Our data suggest that miR-144 might suppress the growth and motility of HCC cells partially by targeting E2F3.