MiR-27a is a pivotal regulator of the breast cancer stem cell state

ABSTRACT: Comparison af adherent growing breast cancer cell lines versus mammospheres under serum-free conditions Background: In patients with breast cancer, subsets of long-lived cells tolerate chemotherapies. These chemoresistant cells can remain dormant at secondary sites, such as bone and lung, for years and decades. Cancer cells endowed with drug resistance are maintained in vivo in a quiescent slow-growing state that preserves them from anti-proliferative cancer drugs. The mechanism of conversion from dormancy to growth remains poorly understood. We aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) as master regulators of cancer stem cells (CSCs) maintainance, because one of the characteristics of CSCs is their slow proliferation or dormancy. MiRNA targeting CSCs may be an effective therapy to improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Methods: We performed miRNA array analysis to identify differences miRNA expression profiles between adherent cells and mammospheres that contain higher number of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). In this approach, we focused on expression of hsa-miR-27a. Further, roles of hsa-miR-27a target genes in maintaining BCSC properties were analysed . Results: Here, we showed that hsa-miR-27a was downregulated in mammosphere cells. The formation of BCSCs was attenuated by transfection of hsa-miR-27a. We found that hsa-miR-27a targets F-box and WD-40 domain protein 7 (FBW7), a tumor suppressor gene, thereby inducing tumor dormancy. Additionally, we found that hsa-miR-27a targets genes involved in GSH synthesis, including xCT (encoded by SLC7A11), a heterodimeric protein of a transporter subunit of the xC(-) system, cystathionine gamma-lyase (CTH/CSE), and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2/NFE2L2), thereby increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Upregulation of these genes by antisense (as)-miR-27a induced autophagy. Conclusions: Previous studies showed that expression of hsa-miR-27a is elevated in breast cancer. Here, we showed that expression of hsa-miR-27a was reduced in BCSC. CSCs in the dormant state are resistant to chemotherapy due to inhibition of ROS accumulation in these cells. These results demonstrate that hsa-miR-27a plays an essential role in maintaining the BCSCs phenotype via regulation of FBW7, ROS related genes and the Nrf2 pathway, as well as in the dormant-to-proliferative switch of breast cancer cells. Thus, hsa-miR-27a represents a novel strategy for various type of breast cancer.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE127849 | GEO | 2019/03/06

REPOSITORIES: GEO