Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.

Basal-like breast cancer is a molecularly distinct subtype of breast cancer that is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis. MicroRNA-29c (miR-29c) has been shown to be significantly down-regulated in basal-like breast tumors and to be involved in cell invasion and sensitivity to chemotherapy. Ho...

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Main Authors: Elizabeth Poli, Jing Zhang, Chika Nwachukwu, Yonglan Zheng, Babatunde Adedokun, Olufunmilayo I Olopade, Yoo-Jeong Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4634951?pdf=render
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author Elizabeth Poli
Jing Zhang
Chika Nwachukwu
Yonglan Zheng
Babatunde Adedokun
Olufunmilayo I Olopade
Yoo-Jeong Han
author_facet Elizabeth Poli
Jing Zhang
Chika Nwachukwu
Yonglan Zheng
Babatunde Adedokun
Olufunmilayo I Olopade
Yoo-Jeong Han
author_sort Elizabeth Poli
collection DOAJ
description Basal-like breast cancer is a molecularly distinct subtype of breast cancer that is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis. MicroRNA-29c (miR-29c) has been shown to be significantly down-regulated in basal-like breast tumors and to be involved in cell invasion and sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, little is known about the genetic and regulatory factors contributing to the altered expression of miR-29c in basal-like breast cancer. We here report that epigenetic modifications at the miR-29c promoter, rather than copy number variation of the gene, may drive the lower expression of miR-29c in basal-like breast cancer. Bisulfite sequencing of CpG sites in the miR-29c promoter region showed higher methylation in basal-like breast cancer cell lines compared to luminal subtype cells with a significant inverse correlation between expression and methylation of miR-29c. Analysis of primary breast tumors using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset confirmed significantly higher levels of methylation of the promoter in basal-like breast tumors compared to all other subtypes. Furthermore, inhibition of CpG methylation with 5-aza-CdR increases miR-29c expression in basal-like breast cancer cells. Flourescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) revealed chromosomal abnormalities at miR-29c loci in breast cancer cell lines, but with no correlation between copy number variation and expression of miR-29c. Our data demonstrated that dysregulation of miR-29c in basal-like breast cancer cells may be in part driven by methylation at CpG sites. Epigenetic control of the miR-29c promoter by epigenetic modifiers may provide a potential therapeutic target to overcome the aggressive behavior of these cancers.
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spelling doaj.art-5a42e37cd7d247f3b9559a9382465afc2022-12-21T21:52:18ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-011011e014222410.1371/journal.pone.0142224Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.Elizabeth PoliJing ZhangChika NwachukwuYonglan ZhengBabatunde AdedokunOlufunmilayo I OlopadeYoo-Jeong HanBasal-like breast cancer is a molecularly distinct subtype of breast cancer that is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis. MicroRNA-29c (miR-29c) has been shown to be significantly down-regulated in basal-like breast tumors and to be involved in cell invasion and sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, little is known about the genetic and regulatory factors contributing to the altered expression of miR-29c in basal-like breast cancer. We here report that epigenetic modifications at the miR-29c promoter, rather than copy number variation of the gene, may drive the lower expression of miR-29c in basal-like breast cancer. Bisulfite sequencing of CpG sites in the miR-29c promoter region showed higher methylation in basal-like breast cancer cell lines compared to luminal subtype cells with a significant inverse correlation between expression and methylation of miR-29c. Analysis of primary breast tumors using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset confirmed significantly higher levels of methylation of the promoter in basal-like breast tumors compared to all other subtypes. Furthermore, inhibition of CpG methylation with 5-aza-CdR increases miR-29c expression in basal-like breast cancer cells. Flourescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) revealed chromosomal abnormalities at miR-29c loci in breast cancer cell lines, but with no correlation between copy number variation and expression of miR-29c. Our data demonstrated that dysregulation of miR-29c in basal-like breast cancer cells may be in part driven by methylation at CpG sites. Epigenetic control of the miR-29c promoter by epigenetic modifiers may provide a potential therapeutic target to overcome the aggressive behavior of these cancers.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4634951?pdf=render
spellingShingle Elizabeth Poli
Jing Zhang
Chika Nwachukwu
Yonglan Zheng
Babatunde Adedokun
Olufunmilayo I Olopade
Yoo-Jeong Han
Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
PLoS ONE
title Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
title_full Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
title_fullStr Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
title_full_unstemmed Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
title_short Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
title_sort molecular subtype specific expression of microrna 29c in breast cancer is associated with cpg dinucleotide methylation of the promoter
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4634951?pdf=render
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