MiR-429 Involves in the Pathogenesis of Colorectal Cancer via Directly Targeting LATS2

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death around the world whose recurrence and metastasis rate is high. Due to the underlying unclear pathogenesis, it is hard so far to predict the tumorigenesis and prevent its recurrence. YAP/TAZ has been reported to be activated and functioned as a potential oncogene in multiple cancer types and proved to be essential for the carcinogenesis of most solid tumors. In the present study, we found that YAP/TAZ was markedly upregulated in CRC tissues comparing with the adjacent noncancerous tissues due to the downregulation of LATS2, the main upstream regulator. We further identified miR-429 as a direct regulator of LATS2-YAP/TAZ activation, suggesting that the miR-429-LATS2-YAP/TAZ might be novel effective diagnostic axis and therapeutic targets for CRC.