Open Access
ARTICLE
Upregulation of miR-324-5p Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Targeting ELAVL1
Chijiang Gu*, Mingyuan Zhang*, Weiliang Sun*, Changzheng Dong†
* Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Yinzhou Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo City,
Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
† School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
Oncology Research 2019, 27(5), 515-524. https://doi.org/10.3727/096504018X15166183598572
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common clinical cancer that remains incurable in most cases. miRNAs are
reported to play a part in the development of various tumors. In the present study, we found that miR-324-5p
was downregulated in CRC cells, while ELAV (embryonic lethal, abnormal vision,
Drosophila)-like protein
1 (ELAVL1) showed a higher expression. miR-324-5p transfection significantly inhibited the proliferation
as well as invasion in both SW620 and SW480 cells. miR-324-5p mimic transfection markedly decreased
the expression of ELAVL1. Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that ELAVL1 is a direct target of miR-
324-5p. Furthermore, cancer invasion factors uPA, uPAR, and MMP-9 were found to drop significantly in
miR-324-5p-transfected groups. To conclude, our findings indicate that miR-324-5p may play a suppressive
role in colorectal cell viability and invasion, at least in part, through directly targeting ELAVL1. Therefore,
miR-234-5p might function as a promising candidate for CRC treatment and deserves deeper research.
Keywords
Cite This Article
Gu, C., Zhang, M., Sun, W., Dong, C. (2019). Upregulation of miR-324-5p Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Targeting ELAVL1.
Oncology Research, 27(5), 515–524. https://doi.org/10.3727/096504018X15166183598572