| Title | A long non-coding RNA targets microRNA miR-34a to regulate colon cancer stem cell asymmetric division. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2016 |
| Authors | Wang, L, Bu, P, Ai, Y, Srinivasan, T, Chen, HJoyce, Xiang, K, Lipkin, SM, Shen, X |
| Journal | Elife |
| Volume | 5 |
| Date Published | 2016 Apr 14 |
| ISSN | 2050-084X |
| Abstract | The roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating cancer and stem cells are being increasingly appreciated. Its diverse mechanisms provide the regulatory network with a bigger repertoire to increase complexity. Here we report a novel LncRNA, Lnc34a, that is enriched in colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs) and initiates asymmetric division by directly targeting the microRNA miR-34a to cause its spatial imbalance. Lnc34a recruits Dnmt3a via PHB2 and HDAC1 to methylate and deacetylate the miR-34a promoter simultaneously, hence epigenetically silencing miR-34a expression independent of its upstream regulator, p53. Lnc34a levels affect CCSC self-renewal and colorectal cancer (CRC) growth in xenograft models. Lnc34a is upregulated in late-stage CRCs, contributing to epigenetic miR-34a silencing and CRC proliferation. The fact that lncRNA targets microRNA highlights the regulatory complexity of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which occupy the bulk of the genome. |
| DOI | 10.7554/eLife.14620 |
| Alternate Journal | Elife |
| PubMed ID | 27077950 |
| PubMed Central ID | PMC4859802 |
| Grant List | UL1 TR001414 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States |
