Open Access

Overexpression of miRNA-221 promotes cell proliferation by targeting the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 and indicates a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer

  • Authors:
    • Jie Li
    • Qiang Li
    • He Huang
    • Yinguang Li
    • Li Li
    • Wenhui Hou
    • Zeshan You
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 7, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2017.3898
  • Pages: 1087-1096
  • Copyright: © Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding, endogenous RNAs involved in cancer development and progression. MicroRNA-221 (mir-221) has been reported to have both an oncogenic and tumor-suppressive role in human tumors, but the role of miR-221 in ovarian cancer is poorly understood. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-221 and the apoptosis protease activating factor 1 (APAF1) protein in 63 samples of ovarian cancer tissues and the cell lines, IOSE25, A2780, OVCAR3, SKOV3 and 3AO were detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8); cell migration and invasion were detected using a transwell assay; cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry and hoechst staining, and a luciferase assay was performed to verify a putative target site of miR-221 in the 3'-UTR of APAF1 mRNA. Expression of miR-221 was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues. Patients with increased miR-221 expression levels had a reduced disease-free survival (P=0.0014) and overall survival (P=0.0058) compared with those with low miR-221 expression. Transfection of SKOV3 and A2780 cell lines with miR-221 inhibitor induced APAF1 protein expression, suppressed cell proliferation and migration and promoted tumor cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the APAF1 gene was confirmed as a direct target of miR-221 and overexpression of APAF1 suppressed ovarian cancer cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in vitro. These findings indicate that miR-221-APAF1 should be studied further as a potential new diagnostic or prognostic biomarker for ovarian cancer.
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April-2017
Volume 50 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Li J, Li Q, Huang H, Li Y, Li L, Hou W and You Z: Overexpression of miRNA-221 promotes cell proliferation by targeting the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 and indicates a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. Int J Oncol 50: 1087-1096, 2017
APA
Li, J., Li, Q., Huang, H., Li, Y., Li, L., Hou, W., & You, Z. (2017). Overexpression of miRNA-221 promotes cell proliferation by targeting the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 and indicates a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. International Journal of Oncology, 50, 1087-1096. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2017.3898
MLA
Li, J., Li, Q., Huang, H., Li, Y., Li, L., Hou, W., You, Z."Overexpression of miRNA-221 promotes cell proliferation by targeting the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 and indicates a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer". International Journal of Oncology 50.4 (2017): 1087-1096.
Chicago
Li, J., Li, Q., Huang, H., Li, Y., Li, L., Hou, W., You, Z."Overexpression of miRNA-221 promotes cell proliferation by targeting the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 and indicates a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer". International Journal of Oncology 50, no. 4 (2017): 1087-1096. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2017.3898