miR-944 in cancer: Comparison
Please note this is a comparison between Version 2 by Camila Xu and Version 3 by Camila Xu.

miR-944 is localized in intron 4 of TP63. ΔNp63 in intron 3 of TP63 recruits the transcription factor AP-2 to promote miR-944 gene expression, which mediates epidermal differentiation induction by ΔNp63. miR-944 is dysregulated in various cancers. In squamous cell carcinoma. miR-944 can target and inhibit 27 protein-coding genes, thereby regulating cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition, cancer cell invasion and migration, and other cell behaviors. The genes targeted by miR-944 are involved in three signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, Jak/STAT3 pathway, and PI3K/AKT pathway. miR-944 was regulated by a total of 11 competing endogenous RNAs, including 6 circular RNAs and 5 long non-coding RNAs. Abnormally expressed miR-944 can act as an independent prognostic factor and is closely related to tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging, and drug resistance. miR-944 is expected to become a critical biomarker with great clinical application value in cancer.

  • miR-944
  • ceRNA
  • dysregulation
  • diagnosis

1. Introduction

microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous short non-coding RNAs of approximately 22 nt that typically target the 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) of mRNAs [1], thereby inhibiting the function of protein-coding genes [2]. Dysregulation of miRNAs is often associated with the malignant transformation of cells, thereby participating in biological processes that promote cancer progression, metastasis, and treatment resistance [3][4].
miR-944 is located in the fourth intron of tumor protein p63 (TP63) in the chromosome 3q28 region [5] and produced at the 3’ end of the stem-loop structure of pre-mir-944. miR-944 is aberrantly expressed in more than 10 cancers. Targeted inhibition of mRNA by miRNA can be hindered by competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), such as circular RNAs (circRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) [6]. miR-944 is regulated by eleven ceRNAs, including six circRNAs and five lncRNAs. miR-944 can target and suppress 27 protein-coding genes, thereby regulating cancer cell behaviors such as cancer cell cycle, growth, proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer cell invasion, and metastasis. The genes targeted by miR-944 are involved in three signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, the Jak/STAT3 pathway, and the PI3K/AKT pathway.
In patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) [7], colorectal cancer (CRC) [8][9], or breast cancer (BrC) [10], low expression of miR-944 was not only associated with poorer overall survival (OS) but also with more advanced tumor infiltration, more lymph node metastasis, and more advanced tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage [9]. miR-944 is associated with resistance to four anticancer drugs, including cisplatin (DDP) [11], rapamycin (RAPA) [12], doxorubicin (DOX) [13], and paclitaxel (PTX) [14]. miR-944 is involved in the molecular mechanism of action of two anticancer drugs, including the quinazolidine alkaloid matrine [15] and a drug under clinical trials, 188Re-liposome [16].

2. miR-944 and Its Host Gene TP63

The p63 transcription factor encoded by TP63, the host gene of miR-944, is a tumor suppressor gene belonging to the p53 family [17]. N-terminal truncated isoform of p63 (ΔNp63), which is transcribed from an alternative promoter in intron 3 of TP63, can regulate the epithelial properties of cells and play an important role in the terminal differentiation and stemness maintenance of basal epidermal cells [18]. miR-944 was significantly positively correlated with ΔNp63 expression in cervical cancer (CxCa) and jointly exerted a cancer-promoting effect [19]. During the differentiation of human epidermal keratinocytes, ΔNp63 can recruit the transcription factor AP-2 to the promoter region of the miR-944 gene, thereby promoting the expression of miR-944 and inducing epidermal differentiation [17].

3. Aberrant Expression of miR-944 in Cancer

As shown in Table 1, miR-944 is downregulated in cells and tissues of 11 cancers. Meanwhile, miR-944 is lowly expressed in the plasma of esophageal cancer (ECa) [20]. It is worth noting that miR-944 is highly expressed in cancer tissues of LUSC [21] and endometrial carcinoma (EC) [22], as well as CxCa cell lines, serum, and tissues [5][23][24][25]. Furthermore, the expression of miR-944 in BrC is controversial. Specifically, miR-944 was highly expressed in serum and tissues of BrC [26], whereas miR-944 was found to be downregulated in five BrC cell lines and tissues [27].
Table 1. Aberrant expression of miR-944 in different cancers.

References

  1. Ha, M.; Kim, V.N. Regulation of microRNA biogenesis. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 2014, 15, 509–524.
  2. Lee, H.Y.; Han, S.S.; Rhee, H.; Park, J.H.; Lee, J.S.; Oh, Y.M.; Choi, S.S.; Shin, S.H.; Kim, W.J. Differential expression of microRNAs and their target genes in non-small-cell lung cancer. Mol. Med. Rep. 2015, 11, 2034–2040.
  3. Pereira, T.; Brito, J.A.R.; Guimaraes, A.L.S.; Gomes, C.C.; de Lacerda, J.C.T.; de Castro, W.H.; Coimbra, R.S.; Diniz, M.G.; Gomez, R.S. MicroRNA profiling reveals dysregulated microRNAs and their target gene regulatory networks in cemento-ossifying fibroma. J. Oral Pathol. Med. 2018, 47, 78–85.
  4. Zou, Y.; Zhong, C.; Hu, Z.; Duan, S. MiR-873-5p: A Potential Molecular Marker for Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis. Front. Oncol. 2021, 11, 743701.
  5. Park, S.; Kim, J.; Eom, K.; Oh, S.; Kim, S.; Kim, G.; Ahn, S.; Park, K.H.; Chung, D.; Lee, H. microRNA-944 overexpression is a biomarker for poor prognosis of advanced cervical cancer. BMC Cancer 2019, 19, 419.
  6. Zhong, C.; Xie, Z.; Zeng, L.H.; Yuan, C.; Duan, S. MIR4435-2HG Is a Potential Pan-Cancer Biomarker for Diagnosis and Prognosis. Front. Immunol. 2022, 13, 855078.
  7. Liu, R.; Zhou, M.; Zhang, P.; Zhao, Y.; Zhang, Y. Cell proliferation and invasion is promoted by circSERPINA3 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by regulating miR-944/MDM2 axis. J. Cancer 2020, 11, 3910–3918.
  8. Tang, J.; Gao, W.; Liu, G.; Sheng, W.; Zhou, J.; Dong, Q.; Dong, M. miR-944 Suppresses EGF-Induced EMT in Colorectal Cancer Cells by Directly Targeting GATA6. Oncol. Targets Ther. 2021, 14, 2311–2325.
  9. Wen, L.; Li, Y.; Jiang, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Yang, B.; Han, F. miR-944 inhibits cell migration and invasion by targeting MACC1 in colorectal cancer. Oncol. Rep. 2017, 37, 3415–3422.
  10. Lv, W.; Tan, Y.; Xiong, M.; Zhao, C.; Wang, Y.; Wu, M.; Wu, Y.; Zhang, Q. Analysis and validation of m6A regulatory network: A novel circBACH2/has-miR-944/HNRNPC axis in breast cancer progression. J. Transl. Med. 2021, 19, 527.
  11. Zhang, L.; Wu, Y.; Hou, C.; Li, F. Circ_0072088 knockdown contributes to cisplatin sensitivity and inhibits tumor progression by miR-944/LASP1 axis in non-small cell lung cancer. J. Gene Med. 2022, 24, e3414.
  12. Chen, X.; Guo, Z.; Fan, S.; Sun, L.; Li, H.; Zhou, J.; Li, Y. Integrating microRNA and mRNA expression in rapamycin-treated T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pathol. Res. Pract. 2019, 215, 152494.
  13. Xi, L.; Liu, Q.; Zhang, W.; Luo, L.; Song, J.; Liu, R.; Wei, S.; Wang, Y. Circular RNA circCSPP1 knockdown attenuates doxorubicin resistance and suppresses tumor progression of colorectal cancer via miR-944/FZD7 axis. Cancer Cell Int. 2021, 21, 153.
  14. Long, X.; Zheng, M.; Yang, Y.; Chen, Y.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, H. circ_ZFR Is Linked to Paclitaxel Resistance in Cervical Cancer via miR-944 Sponging and IL-10 Upregulation. Anal. Cell Pathol. 2022, 2022, 4807287.
  15. Zhu, H.; Lu, Q.; Lu, Q.; Shen, X.; Yu, L. Matrine Regulates Proliferation, Apoptosis, Cell Cycle, Migration, and Invasion of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Through the circFUT8/miR-944/YES1 Axis. Cancer Manag. Res. 2021, 13, 3429–3442.
  16. Lin, B.Z.; Wan, S.Y.; Lin, M.Y.; Chang, C.H.; Chen, T.W.; Yang, M.H.; Lee, Y.J. Involvement of Differentially Expressed microRNAs in the PEGylated Liposome Encapsulated (188)Rhenium-Mediated Suppression of Orthotopic Hypopharyngeal Tumor. Molecules 2020, 25, 3609.
  17. Kim, K.H.; Cho, E.G.; Yu, S.J.; Kang, H.; Kim, Y.J.; Kim, S.H.; Lee, T.R. DeltaNp63 intronic miR-944 is implicated in the DeltaNp63-mediated induction of epidermal differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res. 2015, 43, 7462–7479.
  18. Prieto-Garcia, C.; Hartmann, O.; Reissland, M.; Braun, F.; Fischer, T.; Walz, S.; Schulein-Volk, C.; Eilers, U.; Ade, C.P.; Calzado, M.A.; et al. Maintaining protein stability of Np63 via USP28 is required by squamous cancer cells. EMBO Mol. Med. 2020, 12, e11101.
  19. Kim, J.; Park, S.; Chang, Y.; Park, K.H.; Lee, H. Synergetic Effects of Intronic Mature miR-944 and DeltaNp63 Isoforms on Tumorigenesis in a Cervical Cancer Cell Line. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 5612.
  20. Warnecke-Eberz, U.; Chon, S.H.; Holscher, A.H.; Drebber, U.; Bollschweiler, E. Exosomal onco-miRs from serum of patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus: Comparison of miRNA profiles of exosomes and matching tumor. Tumour Biol. 2015, 36, 4643–4653.
  21. Ma, J.; Mannoor, K.; Gao, L.; Tan, A.; Guarnera, M.A.; Zhan, M.; Shetty, A.; Stass, S.A.; Xing, L.; Jiang, F. Characterization of microRNA transcriptome in lung cancer by next-generation deep sequencing. Mol. Oncol. 2014, 8, 1208–1219.
  22. He, Z.; Xu, H.; Meng, Y.; Kuang, Y. miR-944 acts as a prognostic marker and promotes the tumor progression in endometrial cancer. Biomed. Pharmacother. 2017, 88, 902–910.
  23. Chen, Y.; Gu, Y.; Gu, Y.; Wu, J. Long Noncoding RNA LINC00899/miR-944/ESR1 Axis Regulates Cervical Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion. J. Interferon Cytokine Res. 2021, 41, 220–233.
  24. Palatnik, A.; Ye, S.; Kendziorski, C.; Iden, M.; Zigman, J.S.; Hessner, M.J.; Rader, J.S. Identification of a serum-induced transcriptional signature associated with metastatic cervical cancer. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, e0181242.
  25. Xie, H.; Lee, L.; Scicluna, P.; Kavak, E.; Larsson, C.; Sandberg, R.; Lui, W.O. Novel functions and targets of miR-944 in human cervical cancer cells. Int. J. Cancer 2015, 136, E230–E241.
  26. He, H.; Tian, W.; Chen, H.; Jiang, K. MiR-944 functions as a novel oncogene and regulates the chemoresistance in breast cancer. Tumour Biol. 2016, 37, 1599–1607.
  27. Flores-Perez, A.; Marchat, L.A.; Rodriguez-Cuevas, S.; Bautista, V.P.; Fuentes-Mera, L.; Romero-Zamora, D.; Maciel-Dominguez, A.; de la Cruz, O.H.; Fonseca-Sanchez, M.; Ruiz-Garcia, E.; et al. Suppression of cell migration is promoted by miR-944 through targeting of SIAH1 and PTP4A1 in breast cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2016, 16, 379.
  28. Jiang, J.; Lu, J.; Wang, X.; Sun, B.; Liu, X.; Ding, Y.; Gao, G. Glioma stem cell-derived exosomal miR-944 reduces glioma growth and angiogenesis by inhibiting AKT/ERK signaling. Aging 2021, 13, 19243–19259.
  29. Ji, J.; Peng, Y.; Niu, T.; Lin, Y.; Lin, Y.; Li, X.; Wu, X.; Huang, Z.; Zhong, L.; Zhang, S. miR-944 inhibits cell migration and invasion by targeting MACC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Pathol. 2018, 11, 1167–1174.
  30. An, J.C.; Shi, H.B.; Hao, W.B.; Zhu, K.; Ma, B. miR-944 inhibits lung adenocarcinoma tumorigenesis by targeting STAT1 interaction. Oncol. Lett. 2019, 17, 3790–3798.
  31. Lv, J.; Li, Q.; Ma, R.; Wang, Z.; Yu, Y.; Liu, H.; Miao, Y.; Jiang, S. Long Noncoding RNA FGD5-AS1 Knockdown Decrease Viability, Migration, and Invasion of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Cells by Regulating the MicroRNA-944/MACC1 Axis. Technol. Cancer Res. Treat. 2021, 20, 1533033821990090.
  32. Geng, H.; Li, S.; Xu, M. Long Noncoding RNA SNHG6 Functions as an Oncogene in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer via Modulating ETS1 Signaling. Oncol. Targets Ther. 2020, 13, 921–930.
  33. Lin, C.; Zou, Y.; Li, R.; Liu, D. Long noncoding RNA PRNCR1 exerts oncogenic effects in tongue squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo by sponging microRNA944 and thereby increasing HOXB5 expression. Int. J. Mol. Med. 2020, 46, 119–130.
  34. Ma, S.; Gu, X.; Shen, L.; Chen, Y.; Qian, C.; Shen, X.; Ju, S. CircHAS2 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells by regulating PPM1E mediated by hsa-miR-944. Cell Death Dis. 2021, 12, 863.
  35. Pan, T.; Chen, W.; Yuan, X.; Shen, J.; Qin, C.; Wang, L. miR-944 inhibits metastasis of gastric cancer by preventing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition via MACC1/Met/AKT signaling. FEBS Open Bio 2017, 7, 905–914.
  36. Zheng, H.; Zou, A.E.; Saad, M.A.; Wang, X.Q.; Kwok, J.G.; Korrapati, A.; Li, P.; Kisseleva, T.; Wang-Rodriguez, J.; Ongkeko, W.M. Alcohol-dysregulated microRNAs in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, e0178547.
  37. Kim, Y.J.; Lee, J.H.; Jin, S.; Kim, J.H.; Kim, S.H. Primate-specific miR-944 activates p53-dependent tumor suppression in human colorectal cancers. Cancer Lett. 2019, 440–441, 168–179.
  38. Tang, J.T.; Zhao, J.; Sheng, W.; Zhou, J.P.; Dong, Q.; Dong, M. Ectopic expression of miR-944 impairs colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion by targeting GATA binding protein 6. J. Cell Mol. Med. 2019, 23, 3483–3494.
  39. Yan, T.; Zhu, S.; Zhang, J.; Lu, G.; Lv, C.; Wei, Y.; Luo, M. MicroRNA944 targets vascular endothelial growth factor to inhibit cell proliferation and invasion in osteosarcoma. Mol. Med. Rep. 2018, 18, 5221–5228.
More
Video Production Service