MiR-216b-5p inhibits cell proliferation in human breast cancer by down-regulating HDAC8 expression

Abstract Aim Over-expression of histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) has been demonstrated in breast cancer. But the underlying molecular mechanism of HDAC8 on the progression of breast cancer remains unknown. MicroRNAs (miRs) are proposed as important molecules in cancer progression by targeting specific oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes. Our overall objective was to assess the miR-216b-5p role on HDAC8; and its impacts on breast cancer (BC) progression. Main methods We acquired cancerous and noncancerous tissues from Iran Tumor Bank (I.T.B). The MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and MCF-10A BC cell lines were also purchased. The tissue and cell line expression levels of miR-216b-5p and HDAC8 were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). We next measured protein levels of HDAC8 by Western blotting assay. The cell cycle, cell proliferation, and colony formation assay were determined. Finally, we investigated the role of HDAC8 using a knockout vector; and confirmed the targeting of 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of HDAC8 through miR-216b-5p using a luciferase reporter assay. Key findings Our results demonstrated a significant decrease in miR-216b-5p, and remarkable increase in HDAC8 levels within human breast cancer tissues and cell lines. The lower levels of miR-216b-5p were negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis and advanced tumor size. The overexpression of miR-216b-5p in BC cell lines inhibited cellular proliferation and progression. HDAC8 was directly down-regulated by miR-216b-5p and knockout of HDAC8 showed the similar effects as miR-216b-5p overexpression. Significance Briefly, HDAC8 is an oncogene that accelerate breast cancer proliferation and progression and miR-216b-5p modulates those functions by binding to HDAC8-3′UTR.