Cervical cancer is a largely preventable malignancy due to the availability of cytology screening and vaccination against the essential initiation factor of cervical carcinogenesis, human papillomavirus (HPV). However, cervical cancer remains a significant medical burden worldwide, particularly in developing countries where large scale screening or vaccination programs are not financially feasible. Molecular tests such as HPV DNA tests have the potential to improve the speed and sensitivity of cervical cancer screening but suffer from limited specificity. Additional adjunct molecular markers are therefore desirable for enhancing molecular tests. Our previous research has revealed miR-143, a microRNA downregulated in a number of cancers, could be detected in liquid based cytology samples and is significantly reduced in cervical cancer samples and cell lines. Cellular role of miR-143 and mechanism behind its downregulation remain an unknown in cervical carcinogenesis. To explore the cellular roles of miR-143 in cervical cancer, a construct expressing miR-143 was transfected into cervical cancer cell lines HeLa, SiHa and C33A. miR- 143 overexpression was verified by qPCR. The miR-143 overexpressing cell lines were used to conduct a number of cellular function assays. It has been reported that miR-143 is able to suppress cell growth in HPV-positive HeLa. We followed up the findings and revealed miR-143 overexpression in HPV-negative C33A did not suppress cell growth in an MTT cell proliferation assay. ERK5 and KRAS, two targets of miR-143, are downregulated in colon cancer and bladder cancer to suppress cell grwoth. However, mRNA level of ERK5 and KRAS were not altered in all three miR-143 overexpressed cervical cancer cell lines, suggesting that miR-143 may not target ERK5 and KRAS transcriptionally in cervical cancer. Ability of miR-143 in regulating cell differentiation was evaluated by the expression of K10, an early keratinocyte differentiation marker. K10 was upregulated only in miR-143 overexpressed HeLa and SiHa as revealed by qPCR. A parallel increase in hSkn-1a mRNA, a transcription factor of K10, was also observed specifically in the two miR-overexpressed HPV-positive cell lines. miR-143 level is inversely correlated with cytology grading and progression of cervical disease, hinting its role in mediating cell migration and invasion during cancer progression and metastasis. A reduction of cell migration as demonstrated in wound healing assay and in vitro transwell migration assay was observed exclusively in miR-143 overexpressed HeLa and SiHa. miR-143 overexpression in C33A did not introduce any effect in cell migration. A reduction of cell invasion was also observed merely in miR-143 overexpressed HeLa and SiHa as revealed in a transwell invasion assay. Apart from studying the cellular roles of miR-143 in cervical cancer, this study has also explored mechanisms behind miR-143 downregulation in cervical cancer owing to the fact that certain miR-143 mediated cellular functions were observed only in HPV-positive cervical cancer cell lines. We hypothesized that HPV E6 and E7 oncoprotein may downregulate miR-143 in cervical cancer. The hypothesis was supported by our findings where normal cervical epithelial cell line immortalized by E6 and E7 had an undetectable level of endogenous miR-143 level. The same primary cells immortalized by shp16-hTERT expressed residual amounts of miR-143 as revealed by qPCR. Owing to the low miR-143 expression in shp16-hTERTimmortalized normal cervical epithelial cell line, downregulation of miR-143 in cervical cancer cell lines may also be contributed to hTERT overexpression and p16 silencing. Overall, miR-143 plays an important role in suppressing cell proliferation, enhancing keratinocyte differentiation marker expression, reducing migration and invasion in HPV-positive cervical cancer. Downregulation of miR-143 level may be an effect as manifested by E6 and E7 in HPV-positive cervical cancer. Differential cellular effects in miR-143 overexpressed HPV-positive and HPV-negative cervical cancer cell lines suggest that HPV oncoprotein mediates miR-143 cellular functions. / published_or_final_version / Pathology / Master / Master of Medical Sciences
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:HKU/oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/173868 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Wong, Tsz-lo., 黃子璐. |
| Publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) |
| Source Sets | Hong Kong University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | PG_Thesis |
| Source | http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B48274045 |
| Rights | The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works., Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License |
| Relation | HKU Theses Online (HKUTO) |
Page generated in 0.002 seconds