MiR-154 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Glioblastoma by Targeting Wnt5a.

Recently, deregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression contributes to the development and progression of human glioblastoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of miR-154 and Wnt5a in glioblastoma tissues and cells. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms of miR-154 and Wnt5a in glioblastoma cell lines. In the present study, we found that miR-154 expression was downregulated in glioblastoma tissues and U87, U251, and A172 cells (all p < 0.001). By contrast, Wnt5a was upregulated. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of miR-154 suppressed cell migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells. Mechanically, overexpression of miR-154 inhibited epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of U87 and U251 cells. Importantly, we identified that the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Wnt5a was a direct target of miR-154. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-154 binding to the 3'-UTR regions of Wnt5a inhibited the expression of Wnt5a in U87 and U251 cells. At the same time, overexpressed Wnt5a also reversed EMT inhibited by miR-154. In conclusion, this study suggested that high miR-154 expression suppressed glioblastoma cell migration, invasion, and EMT development through targeting Wnt5a, which may be recommended as a therapeutic target for glioblastoma.