miR-26a inhibits cell proliferation by regulating TFAP2C expression in ovarian cancer cells

Objective: To investigate the suppression effect of microRNA-26a (miR-26a) on the proliferation of ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells by regulating the expression of transcription factor activator protein 2C (TFAP2C). Methods: The miR-26a mimic and luciferase reporter vector TFAP2C-wt containing 3’-untranslated region (3’-UTR) of wild type TFAP2C were co-transfected into SKOV3 cells, and the luciferase activity was detected. After the SKOV3 cells were transfected with miR-26a mimic, short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting TFAP2C gene recombination vector shRNA-TFAP2C and TFAP2C over-expression recombination vector pcDNA3.1-TFAP2C, repectively, as well as cotransfected with the different combinations, the expression levels of TFAP2C were detected by Western blotting, and the cell proliferation was examined by MTS assay. Results: As compared with the control [miRNA negative control (miR-NC) and luciferase reporter vector TFAP2C-mut containing 3’-UTR of mutant type of TFAP2C gene were in co-transfection], the luciferase activity of SKOV3 cells after co-transfection with miR-26a mimic and TFAP2C-wt was decreased by 52% (P < 0.05). The expression levels of TFAP2C and the proliferation rates of SKOV3 cells after transfection with miR-26a mimic and shRNA-TFAP2C were lower than those of the SKOV3 cells transfected with miR-NC and shRNA-NC (P < 0.05). The proliferation rate of SKOV3 cells after co-transfection with miR-26a mimic and shRNA-TFAP2C was lower than those of the SKOV3 cells transfected with miR-26a mimic and shRNA-TFAP2C alone (P < 0.05).The expression levels of TFAP2C and the proliferation rate of SKOV3 cells after transfection with pcDNA3.1-TFAP2C were higher than those of the SKOV3 cells transfected with empty vector pcDNA3.1 (P < 0.05). The proliferation rate of SKOV3 cells after co-transfection with miR-26a mimic and pcDNA3.1-TFAP2C was lower than that of the SKOV3 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1-TFAP2C alone (P < 0.05). Conclusion: miR-26a can suppress the cell proliferation by targeting TFAP2C expression in ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells. DOI:DOI:10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2014.11.545