Role of DNA methylation in miR-200c/141 cluster silencing in invasive breast cancer cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The miR-200c/141 cluster has recently been implicated in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. The expression of these two miRNAs is inversely correlated with tumorigenicity and invasiveness in several human cancers. The role of these miRNAs in cancer progression is based in part on their capacity to target the EMT activators ZEB1 and ZEB2, two transcription factors, which in turn repress expression of E-cadherin. Little is known about the regulation of the mir200c/141 cluster, whose targeting has been proposed as a promising new therapy for the most aggressive tumors.

Findings

We show that the miR-200c/141 cluster is repressed by DNA methylation of a CpG island located in the promoter region of these miRNAs. Whereas in vitro methylation of the m

SUBMITTER: Neves R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3161370 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature