Reduced miR-550a-3p leads to breast cancer initiation, growth, and metastasis by increasing levels of ERK1 and 2.

ABSTRACT: Hyperactivation of the Ras/ERK pathway contributes to breast cancer initiation and progression, and recent evidence suggests aberrant signaling of miRNAs that regulate the Ras/ERK pathway play important roles during carcinogenesis and cancer progression. In this study, we demonstrate that miR-550a-3p expression is negatively correlated with levels of ERK1 and ERK2, two pivotal effectors in the Ras/ERK pathway. MiR-550a-3p gradually decreased during breast cancer initiation and progression and this reduction was a prognostic indicator of poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) among breast cancer patients. Our mechanistic studies demonstrated that miR-550a-3p exerts its tumor-suppressor role by directly repressing ERK1 and ERK2 protein expression, thereby suppressing th

SUBMITTER: Ho JY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5288226 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature