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Molecular Cancer
Published in: Molecular Cancer 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research

Molecular mechanism of chemoresistance by miR-215 in osteosarcoma and colon cancer cells

Authors: Bo Song, Yuan Wang, Matthew A. Titmus, Galina Botchkina, Andrea Formentini, Marko Kornmann, Jingfang Ju

Published in: Molecular Cancer | Issue 1/2010

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Abstract

Background

Translational control mediated by non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) plays a key role in the mechanism of cellular resistance to anti-cancer drug treatment. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and thymidylate synthase (TYMS, TS) are two of the most important targets for antifolate- and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapies in the past 50 years. In this study, we investigated the roles of miR-215 in the chemoresistance to DHFR inhibitor methotrexate (MTX) and TS inhibitor Tomudex (TDX).

Results

The protein levels of both DHFR and TS were suppressed by miR-215 without the alteration of the target mRNA transcript levels. Interestingly, despite the down-regulation of DHFR and TS proteins, ectopic expression of miR-215 resulted in a decreased sensitivity to MTX and TDX. Paradoxically, gene-specific small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against DHFR or TS had the opposite effect, increasing sensitivity to MTX and TDX. Further studies revealed that over-expression of miR-215 inhibited cell proliferation and triggered cell cycle arrest at G2 phase, and that this effect was accompanied by a p53-dependent up-regulation of p21. The inhibitory effect on cell proliferation was more pronounced in cell lines containing wild-type p53, but was not seen in cells transfected with siRNAs against DHFR or TS. Moreover, denticleless protein homolog (DTL), a cell cycle-regulated nuclear and centrosome protein, was confirmed to be one of the critical targets of miR-215, and knock-down of DTL by siRNA resulted in enhanced G2-arrest, p53 and p21 induction, and reduced cell proliferation. Additionally, cells subjected to siRNA against DTL exhibited increased chemoresistance to MTX and TDX. Endogenous miR-215 was elevated about 3-fold in CD133+HI/CD44+HI colon cancer stem cells that exhibit slow proliferating rate and chemoresistance compared to control bulk CD133+/CD44+ colon cancer cells.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results indicate that miR-215, through the suppression of DTL expression, induces a decreased cell proliferation by causing G2-arrest, thereby leading to an increase in chemoresistance to MTX and TDX. The findings of this study suggest that miR-215 may play a significant role in the mechanism of tumor chemoresistance and it may have a unique potential as a novel biomarker candidate.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Molecular mechanism of chemoresistance by miR-215 in osteosarcoma and colon cancer cells
Authors
Bo Song
Yuan Wang
Matthew A. Titmus
Galina Botchkina
Andrea Formentini
Marko Kornmann
Jingfang Ju
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Molecular Cancer / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1476-4598
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-4598-9-96

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