MiR-200, a new star miRNA in human cancer

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a set of non-coding small RNA molecules in control of gene expression at posttranscriptional/translational level. They not only play crucial roles in normal developmental progress, but also are commonly dysregulated in human diseases, including cancer. MiR-200 is a family of tumor suppressor miRNAs consisting of five members, which are significantly involved in inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), repression of cancer stem cells (CSCs) self-renewal and differentiation, modulation of cell division and apoptosis, and reversal of chemoresistance. In this article, we summarize the latest findings with regard to the tumor suppressor signatures of miR-200 and the regulatory mechanisms of miR-200 expression. The collected evidence supports that miR-200 is becoming a new star miRNA in study of human cancer.

Keywords: Cell cycle; EMT; MiR-200; MicroRNA; Stem cells; ZEB.

Figure 1

Tumor suppressive signatures of miR-200. (A) MiR-200 inhibits EMT by interacting with ZEB1/2 and the Notch pathway. (B) MiR-200 represses self-renewal and differentiation in CSCs. (C) MiR-200 is involved in the regulation of cell division and apoptosis.

Figure 2

Regulation of miR-200 expression involving multiple transcription factors (TFs) and epigenetic modification. TSS represents transcription starting site. * TFs determined in mouse models.