The miR-106b/NR2F2-AS1/PLEKHO2 Axis Regulates Migration and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer through the MAPK Pathway

Increasing numbers of miRNAs have been observed as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in colorectal cancer (CRC). It was recently reported that hsa-miR-106b-5p (miR-106b) promoted CRC cell migration and invasion. However, there were also studies showing contradictory results. Therefore, in the present study, we further explore the role of miR-106b and its downstream networks in the carcinogenesis of CRC. We observed that the expression of miR-106b is significantly increased in Pan-Cancer and CRC tissues compared with normal tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Furthermore, we used Transwell, Cell Counting Kit-8, and colony formation assays to clarify that miR-106b promotes the migratory, invasive, and proliferative abilities of CRC cells. For the first time, we systematically screened the target mRNAs and lncRNAs of miR-106b using TCGA database and the bioinformatics algorithms. Dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that NR2F2-AS1 and PLEKHO2 are the direct targets of miR-106b. Furthermore, NR2F2-AS1 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate PLEKHO2 expression by sponging miR-106b. The results of Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Western blot indicated that they play important roles in CRC progression by regulating MAPK pathway. Thus, miR-106b/NR2F2-AS1/PLEKHO2/MAPK signaling axis may suggest the potential usage in CRC treatment.