A double-negative feedback loop between ZEB1-SIP1 and the microRNA-200 family regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition

CP Bracken, PA Gregory, N Kolesnikoff, AG Bert… - Cancer research, 2008 - AACR
CP Bracken, PA Gregory, N Kolesnikoff, AG Bert, J Wang, MF Shannon, GJ Goodall
Cancer research, 2008AACR
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition occurs during embryologic development to allow tissue
remodeling and is proposed to be a key step in the metastasis of epithelial-derived tumors.
The miR-200 family of microRNAs plays a major role in specifying the epithelial phenotype
by preventing expression of the transcription repressors, ZEB1/δEF1 and SIP1/ZEB2. We
show here that miR-200a, miR-200b, and the related miR-429 are all encoded on a 7.5-kb
polycistronic primary miRNA (pri-miR) transcript. We show that the promoter for the pri-miR …
Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition occurs during embryologic development to allow tissue remodeling and is proposed to be a key step in the metastasis of epithelial-derived tumors. The miR-200 family of microRNAs plays a major role in specifying the epithelial phenotype by preventing expression of the transcription repressors, ZEB1/δEF1 and SIP1/ZEB2. We show here that miR-200a, miR-200b, and the related miR-429 are all encoded on a 7.5-kb polycistronic primary miRNA (pri-miR) transcript. We show that the promoter for the pri-miR is located within a 300-bp segment located 4 kb upstream of miR-200b. This promoter region is sufficient to confer expression in epithelial cells and is repressed in mesenchymal cells by ZEB1 and SIP1 through their binding to a conserved pair of ZEB-type E-box elements located proximal to the transcription start site. These findings establish a double-negative feedback loop controlling ZEB1-SIP1 and miR-200 family expression that regulates cellular phenotype and has direct relevance to the role of these factors in tumor progression. [Cancer Res 2008;68(19):7846–54]
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