miR-1271 inhibits OSCC cell growth and metastasis by targeting ALK

Abstract

Aberrant expression of miR-1271 plays prominent roles in progression of several cancers. However, the role of miR-1271 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been elucidated. The expression levels of miR-1271 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) were measured by qRT-PCR in OSCC tissues and cell lines. The effects of miR-1271-mediated ALK on growth and metastasis of OSCC cells, transfected with miR-1271 with or without ALK plasmid, were assessed using MTT, colony formation, migration and invasion assays. Moreover, the target relationship between miR-1271 and ALK was assessed using luciferase reporter assay, western blotting and qRT-PCR. We found that miR-1271 was significantly decreased in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-1271 suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of OSCC cells. Furthermore, ALK was identified as a target of miR-1271, ALK overexpression remarkably attenuated the tumor suppressive effects of miR-1271 on OSCC cells. In addition, ALK was inversely correlated with miR-1271 expression in OSCC tissues. Taken together, our findings indicate that miR-1271 acts as tumor suppressor in OSCC and might be used as an therapeutic target for the development of treatment for OSCC.