Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of lung cancer cases. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been consistently demonstrated to be involved in NSCLC and to act as either tumor oncogenes or tumor suppressors. In this study, we identified a specific binding site for miR-218-5p in the 3′-untranslated region of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We further experimentally validated miR-218-5p as a direct regulator of EGFR. We also identified an inverse correlation between miR-218-5p and EGFR protein levels in NSCLC tissue samples. Moreover, we demonstrated that miR-218-5p plays a critical role in suppressing the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells probably by binding to EGFR. Finally, we examined the function of miR-218-5p in vivo and revealed that miR-218-5p exerts an anti-tumor effect by negatively regulating EGFR in a xenograft mouse model. Taken together, the results of this study highlight an important role for miR-218-5p in the regulation of EGFR in NSCLC and may open new avenues for future lung cancer therapies.

Visceral adiposity is strongly associated with metabolic disease risk, whereas subcutaneous adiposity is comparatively benign. However, their relative physiological importance in energy homeostasis remains unclear. Here, we show that after 24-h fasting, the subcutaneous adipose tissue of mice acquires key properties of visceral fat. During this fast-induced 'visceralization', upregulation of miR-149-3p directly targets PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16), a key coregulatory protein required for the 'browning' of white fat. In cultured inguinal preadipocytes, overexpression of miR-149-3p promotes a visceral-like switch during cell differentiation. Mice deficient in miR-149-3p display an increase in whole-body energy expenditure, with enhanced thermogenesis of inguinal fat. However, a visceral-like adipose phenotype is observed in inguinal depots overexpressing miR-149-3p. These results indicate that in addition to the capacity of 'browning' to defend against hypothermia during cold exposure, the subcutaneous adipose depot is also capable of 'whitening' to preserve energy during fasting, presumably to maintain energy balance, via miR-149-3p-mediated regulation of PRDM16. A dipocytes have been studied with increasing intensity due to the onset of the obesity epidemic. Traditionally, adipose tissues have been divided into two types: white adipose tissue (WAT), best known for storing excess energy in the form of triglycerides, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which oxidizes chemical energy to produce heat to protect against hypothermia and obesity 1-3 . Most mammals have stereotypical adipose depots located throughout the body 4 . Classical BAT is typically located in the interscapular region in human infants and small mammals 5 . WAT generally develops in distinct intra-abdominal (visceral) depots and in the subcutaneous layer 1 . Scientists have recognized that the distribution of fat is closely linked to metabolic disease risk 6 . In particular, the accumulation of visceral WAT is strongly correlated with an increased risk of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease [7][8][9] . By contrast, the expansion of subcutaneous adiposity shows little or even an inverse correlation with disease risk 10,11 . Transplantation of subcutaneous depots, but not visceral fat, into the abdomen of mice leads to improved whole-body metabolism 12,13 . These divergent metabolic effects of different adipose depots have raised interest in the unique properties of visceral and subcutaneous fat 1 .Recently, it has become clear that subcutaneous and visceral WAT have unique gene expression signatures 1 . Moreover, subcutaneous fat possesses substantial thermogenic capacity in response to cold stimulation compared with visceral depots 14 . A large accumulation of brown-like cells (termed beige/brite cells) during cold exposure is most prominent in the subcutaneous inguinal depot, whereas visceral adipocytes are less susceptible to 'browning' 1 . The developmental and transcriptional control of beige cells have received much attention, ma...

Susceptibility to cancer is heritable, but much of this heritability remains unexplained. Some ‘missing’ heritability may be mediated by epigenetic changes in the parental germ line that do not involve transmission of genetic variants from parent to offspring. We report that deletion of the chromatin regulator Kdm6a (Utx) in the paternal germ line results in elevated tumor incidence in genetically wild type mice. This effect increases following passage through two successive generations of Kdm6a male germline deletion, but is lost following passage through a wild type germ line. The H3K27me3 mark is redistributed in sperm of Kdm6a mutants, and we define approximately 200 H3K27me3-marked regions that exhibit increased DNA methylation, both in sperm of Kdm6a mutants and in somatic tissue of progeny. Hypermethylated regions in enhancers may alter regulation of genes involved in cancer initiation or progression. Epigenetic changes in male gametes may therefore impact cancer susceptibility in adult offspring.

MTUS1 (microtubule-associated tumor suppressor 1) has been identified that can function as a tumor suppressor gene in many malignant tumors. However, the function and mechanisms underlying the regulation of MTUS1 are unclear. In the present study, we reported that miR-19a and miR-19b (miR-19a/b) promote proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells by targeting MTUS1. First, MTUS1 was proved to function as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer and was linked to cell proliferation and migration promotion. Second, an inverse correlation between miR-19a/b expression and MTUS1 mRNA/protein expression was noted in human lung cancer tissues. Third, MTUS1 was appraised as a direct target of miR-19a/b by bioinformatics analysis. Fourth, direct MTUS1 regulation by miR-19a/b in lung cancer cells was experimentally affirmed by cell transfection assay and luciferase reporter assay. Finally, miR-19a/b were shown to cooperatively repress MTUS1 expression and synergistically regulate MTUS1 expression to promote lung cancer cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our findings have provided the first clues regarding the roles of miR-19a/b, which appear to function as oncomirs in lung cancer by downregulating MTUS1.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13238-017-0393-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.