miR-130a upregulates mTOR pathway by targeting TSC1 and is transactivated by NF-κB in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

Cell Death Differ. 2017 Dec;24(12):2089-2100. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2017.129. Epub 2017 Aug 11.

Abstract

Activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is associated with poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. The TSC1-TSC2 complex is a critical negative regulator of mTOR signaling. Here, we demonstrated that TSC1 was frequently downregulated in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) and low TSC1 expression level is associated with advanced tumor stage. We next identified miR-130a to be a negative regulator of TSC1 by targeting its 3'UTR. miR-130a was overexpressed in HGSOC and could drive proliferation and invasion/metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. miR-130a could also attenuate rapamycin/starvation-induced autophagy. Ectopic TSC1 expression could block the effects of miR-130a on cell proliferation, migration and autophagy. Finally, we found that miR-130a expression could be upregulated by inflammatory factors and was transactivated by NF-κB. Therefore, our findings establish a crosstalk between inflammation and mTOR signaling that is mediated by miR-130a, which might have a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of HGSOC.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / genetics
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / metabolism*
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / pathology
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Signal Transduction
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Transfection
  • Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 1 Protein
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • MIRN130 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • NF-kappa B
  • TSC1 protein, human
  • Tsc1 protein, mouse
  • Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 1 Protein
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • MTOR protein, human
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases