MicroRNA-92b promotes tumor growth and activation of NF-κB signaling via regulation of NLK in oral squamous cell carcinoma

  • Authors:
    • Zhiming Liu
    • Cynthia Diep
    • Tiantian Mao
    • Li Huang
    • Robert Merrill
    • Zhouwen Zhang
    • Youjian Peng
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: October 2, 2015     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2015.4323
  • Pages: 2961-2968
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

miR-92b has been reported to be dysregulated in many types of human cancers. However, the role of miR-92b in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the function and mechanism of miR-92b in human OSCC. Using quantitative reverse‑transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), we found that the miR-92b level in primary tumors (n=85) was significantly elevated compared with that in the adjacent normal tissues (p<0.001). A high level of miR-92b was significantly associated with a large tumor size (p=0.005), advanced tumor stage (p<0.001) and poorer prognosis (p=0.04). Functionally, miR-92b was shown to not only promote the proliferation of OSCC cells in MTT and colony formation and xenograft assays, but also to inhibit cell apoptosis in a flow cytometric assay. In western blotting and luciferase assay, NLK was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-92b. We also found that NLK was involved in miR-92b-induced cell proliferation, and its protein level was obviously downregulated in the miR-92b-overexpressing xenograft tumors. Finally, luciferase reporter assay and fluorescent immunostaining revealed that miR-92b activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, which may be responsible for the effects of miR-92b on cell proliferation. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-92b upregulation accelerates tumor growth and present a novel mechanism of miRNA‑mediated NF-κB activation in OSCC.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

December-2015
Volume 34 Issue 6

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Liu Z, Diep C, Mao T, Huang L, Merrill R, Zhang Z and Peng Y: MicroRNA-92b promotes tumor growth and activation of NF-κB signaling via regulation of NLK in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Rep 34: 2961-2968, 2015
APA
Liu, Z., Diep, C., Mao, T., Huang, L., Merrill, R., Zhang, Z., & Peng, Y. (2015). MicroRNA-92b promotes tumor growth and activation of NF-κB signaling via regulation of NLK in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oncology Reports, 34, 2961-2968. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2015.4323
MLA
Liu, Z., Diep, C., Mao, T., Huang, L., Merrill, R., Zhang, Z., Peng, Y."MicroRNA-92b promotes tumor growth and activation of NF-κB signaling via regulation of NLK in oral squamous cell carcinoma". Oncology Reports 34.6 (2015): 2961-2968.
Chicago
Liu, Z., Diep, C., Mao, T., Huang, L., Merrill, R., Zhang, Z., Peng, Y."MicroRNA-92b promotes tumor growth and activation of NF-κB signaling via regulation of NLK in oral squamous cell carcinoma". Oncology Reports 34, no. 6 (2015): 2961-2968. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2015.4323