hsa-miR-212 modulates the radiosensitivity of glioma cells by targeting BRCA1

Radioresistance remains a major challenge in the treatment of glioma, and the response of patients to radiotherapy varies considerably. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in various biological processes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate miRNAs involved in the response to radiation in glioma cell lines. Total RNA was isolated from human glioma U251 cells 30 min after γ-ray exposure and hybridized to an miRNA chip array. miRNA expression profiles were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. pcDNA3/EGFP-miR-212 mimic transfection was used to verify the function of miR-212 in colony formation tests, and the effect of miR-212 overexpression on U251 cells was examined by western blot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and cytochrome c). The target genes of miR-212 were predicted using bioinformatic tools including miRNA databases, and breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) was selected for further confirmation by EGFP fluorescence reporter and loss- and gain-of-function assays. Of the 16 candidate miRNAs showing altered expression, five were assessed by real-time PCR; miR-212 was identified as contributing to the radioresistance of glioma cells and was shown to attenuate radiation-induced apoptosis. miR-212 negatively regulated BRCA1 expression by interacting with its 3′-untranslated region, suggesting a correlation between BRCA1 expression and radiosensitivity in glioma cells. U-118MG and SHG-44 cell lines were used to confirm these observations. The response of glioma cells to radiation involves the miR-212-mediated modulation of BRCA1 gene expression, suggesting that the miR-212/BRCA1 axis may play a potential role in the radiotherapy of gliomas.