MicroRNA-129-3p functions as a tumor suppressor in serous ovarian cancer by targeting BZW1

The aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) underlies a series of human diseases, including ovarian cancers. In our previous study, we found that miR-129-1-3p and miR-129-2-3p levels were significantly decreased in serous ovarian cancer via a microarray and quantitative PCR. In this study, we investigated the pathological role of miR-129-3p in an ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3 cells. The results demonstrated that miR-129-3p overexpression distinctively inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. The regulator of cell cycling, BZW1 (basic leucine zipper and W2 domains 1), was validated as a novel direct target of miR-129-3p. Specifically, miR-129-3p bound directly to the 3' untranslated region of BZW1 and suppressed its expression. Our results indicate that miR-129-3p serves as a tumor suppressor by targeting BZW1 in ovarian cancer cells and highlight that the restoration of miR-129-3p might be a novel therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.