Changes in cytoarchitecture and mobility in B16F1 melanoma cells induced by 5-Br-2'-dU coincide with Rock2, miRNAs 138-5p and 455-3p reciprocal expressions

Abstract

ROCK2 is a protein involved in the restructuring of the cytoskeleton in cell adhesion and contractibility processes. miR-138-5p and miR-455-3p regulate Rock2 expression, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in different experimental cell models. However, their participation in the cytoarchitecture and mobility of B16F1 melanoma cells exposed to 5-Br-2'-dU is partially known. This work aimed to analyze ROCK2 and miRs 138-5p and 455-3p expression associated with morphological and mobility changes of B16F1 mouse melanoma cells exposed to the thymidine analog 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (5-Br-2'-dU). We observed an increase (2.2X n = 3, p < 0.05) in the cell area, coinciding with an increase in cell diameter (1.27X n = 3, p < 0.05), as well as greater cell granularity, capacity for circularization, adhesion, which was associated with more significant polymerization of F-actin, collapsed in the intermediate filaments of vimentin (VIM), and coinciding with a decrease in migration (87%). Changes coincided with a decrease in Rock2 mRNA expression (2.88X n = 3, p < 0.05), increased vimentin and a reciprocal decrease in miR-138-5p (1.8X), and an increase in miR-455-3p (2.39X). The Rock2 kinase inhibitor Y27632 partially rescued these changes. These results suggest ROCK2 and VIM regulate the morphological and mobility changes of B16 melanoma cells after exposure to 5-Br-2'-dU, and its expression may be reciprocally regulated, at least in part, by miR-138-5p and miR-455-3p.

MiroRNA-31-3p Promotes the Invasion and Metastasis of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Targeting Forkhead Box 1 (FOXO1)

“…In the case of activation, RhoA interacts with downstream effectors such as RhoA-related protein kinase (ROCK), namely, ROCK1 and ROCK-2 [ 18 ], both of which are expressed in most tissues, and ROCK-2 is involved in cytoskeletal reorganization during cell adhesion and contraction. It can be found from the literature that miR-138-5p and miR-455-3p can regulate the expression of Rock2, thereby promoting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion [ 19 ]. The RhoA/ROCK-2 signaling pathway which can promote the migration and bone metastasis of aggressive cancer cells is regulated and activated by a variety of upstream factors [ 20 , 21 ].…”