MicroRNA-1231 exerts a tumor suppressor role through regulating the EGFR/PI3K/AKT axis in glioma

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the initiation and progression of glioma. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. METHODS: We performed microarray analysis to evaluate miRNA expression levels in 158 glioma tissue samples, and examined miR-1231 levels in glioma samples and healthy brain tissues using qRT-PCR. In vitro analyses were performed using miR-1231 mimics, inhibitors, and siRNA targeting EGFR. We used flow cytometry, CCK-8 assays, and colony formation assays to examine glioma proliferation and cell cycle analysis. A dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to examine miR-1231 regulation of EGFR, and the effect of upregulated miR-1231 was investigated in a subcutaneous GBM model. RESULTS: We found that miR-1231 expression was decreased in human glioma tissues and negatively correlated with EGFR levels. Moreover, the downregulation of miR-1231 negatively correlated with the clinical stage of human glioma patients. miR-1231 overexpression dramatically downregulated glioma cell proliferation, and suppressed tumor growth in a nude mouse model. Bioinformatics prediction and a luciferase assay confirmed EGFR as a direct target of miR-1231. EGFR overexpression abrogated the suppressive effect of miR-1231 on the PI3K/AKT pathway and G1 arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results demonstrated that EGFR is a direct target of miR-1231. Our findings suggest that the miR-1231/EGFR axis may be a helpful future diagnostic target for malignant glioma. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11060-018-2903-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.