PUMA is a novel target of miR-221/222 in human epithelial cancers.

miR-221 and miR-222 (miR-221/222) are frequently up-regulated in human epithelial cancers. However, the mechanism of miR-221/222 action involved in carcinogenesis has not been extensively studied. Here, we found that reduction of miR-221/222 inhibited cell proliferation and induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in human epithelial cancer cells (A549 lung cancer and MCF-7 breast cancer cells). Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-221/222 co-modulated the p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) expression by directly targeting the binding site within the 3'UTR. Together, these findings suggest that PUMA is a direct target of miR-221/222 that functions as an endogenous apoptosis regulator in these epithelial cancers.