MicroRNA-301a-3p suppressed the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via targeting VGLL4.

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in a variety of biological process including tumorigenesis. miR-301a-3p has been reported to be an onco-miRNA in various types of cancer, like breast cancer, malignant melanoma, and pancreatic cancer. However, the role of miR-301a-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely incomplete. In the present study, we found that miR-301a-3p was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and higher miR-301a-3p expression predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. We also demonstrated that miR-301a-3p overexpression enhanced the ability of proliferation, invasion, and chemoresistance in HCC cell lines, and conversely, silencing miR-301a-3p expression induced the opposite effects. VGLL4, as the direct target of miR-301a-3p, was predicted by bioinformatic websites and confirmed by western blot, RT-PCR, and luciferase reporter assay. Enforced VGLL4 expression rescued the effects of miR-301a-3p mimics on cell proliferation, invasion and chemoresistance. Moreover, we found miR-301a-3p modulated the transcription activity of TEADs. Collectively, our findings suggested that the miR-301a-3p-VGLL4 signaling axis might be a potential therapeutic target for HCC.