Epstein-Barr virus-encoded miR-BART6-3p inhibits cancer cell metastasis and invasion by targeting long non-coding RNA LOC553103

Cell Death Dis. 2016 Sep 1;7(9):e2353. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2016.253.

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is causatively related to a variety of human cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and gastric cancer (GC). EBV encodes 44 mature miRNAs, a number of which have been proven to promote carcinogenesis by targeting host genes or self-viral genes. However, in this study, we found that an EBV-encoded microRNA, termed EBV-miR-BART6-3p, inhibited EBV-associated cancer cell migration and invasion including NPC and GC by reversing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Using microarray analysis, we identified and validated that a novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LOC553103 was downregulated by EBV-miR-BART6-3p, and LOC553103 knockdown by specific siRNAs phenocopied the effect of EBV-miR-BART6-3p, while LOC553103 overexpression promoted cancer cell migration and invasion to facilitate EMT. In conclusion, we determined that EBV-miR-BART6-3p, a microRNA encoded by oncogenic EBV, inhibited EBV-associated cancer cell migration and invasion by targeting and downregulating a novel lncRNA LOC553103. Thus, our study presents an unreported mechanism underlying EBV infection in EBV-associated cancer carcinogenesis, and provides a potential novel diagnosis and treatment biomarker for NPC and other EBV-related cancers.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Carcinoma / genetics*
  • Carcinoma / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Models, Biological
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Stress Fibers / metabolism
  • Transfection

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • lncRNA LOC553103, human