Colon cancer cell proliferation is inhibited by miR-142a-5p via regulation of the PLK1 gene

DOI: 10.14800/rd.448

Abstract

The morbidity and mortality of colon cancer are still very high, although medical technology has greatly improved in recent years. This study explored the role of miR-142a-5p in the proliferation of colon cancer cells. The binding between miR-142a-5p and PLK1 was verified by using luciferase assays. Western blotting was employed to determine whether PLK1 is the direct target gene of miR-142a-5p. In addition, a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to determine whether miR-142a-5p inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells by targeting PLK1. Our results show the clear binding between miR-142a-5p and PLK1. Reduced PLK1 expression in colon cancer cells transfected a miR-142a-5p mimic and increased PLK1 expression in colon cancer cells transfected with a miR-142a-5p inhibitor were observed. Moreover, the overexpression of PLK1 promoted cell proliferation, while the miR-142a-5p mimic inhibited cell proliferation. In conclusion, our findings indicate that miR-142a-5p inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells by downregulating PLK1.