MicroRNA-124 inhibits proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical carcinoma cells by targeting astrocyte-elevated gene-1.

MicroRNA-124 (miR-124) was reported to be attenuated in human cervical cancer (CC) specimens. However, its role in CC remains elusive. In the present study, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that miR-124 expression is significantly downregulated in human CC tissues and several CC cell lines. Transfection of miR-124 mimics in CC cell lines HeLa and SiHa markedly inhibits cell proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities, as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in vitro. Further studies have identified astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) as a direct target gene of miR-124. miR-124 downregulated AEG-1 expression through interaction with its 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs), and miR-124 expression was inversely correlated with AEG-1 levels in CC specimens. Moreover, exogenous overexpression of AEG-1 significantly rescued the miR-124-induced inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as the EMT process in HeLa cells. In conclusion, these findings suggested that miR-124 was able to suppress cell proliferation, invasion and migration, as well as the EMT process in cervical carcinomas through directly targeting AEG-1. miR-124 and AEG-1 may be potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of cervical carcinoma.