Functional Role of the microRNA-200 Family in Breast Morphogenesis and Neoplasia.

• Published in: Genes
• Main Authors: Hilmarsdottir, Bylgja, Briem, Eirikur, Bergthorsson, Jon Thor, Magnusson, Magnus Karl, Gudjonsson, Thorarinn
• Other Authors: Univ Iceland, Biomed Ctr, Dept Med Fac, Stem Cell Res Unit, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland, Landspitali Univ Hosp, Dept Lab Hematol, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland, Univ Iceland, Fac Med, Dept Pharmacol & Toxicol, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2015
• Subjects: Brjóstakrabbamein; Neoplasms/genetics; Breast Neoplasms; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/552112; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes5030804

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access. Branching epithelial morphogenesis is closely linked to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process important in normal development and cancer progression. The miR-200 family regulates epithelial morphogenesis and EMT through a negative feedback loop with the ZEB1 and ZEB2 transcription factors. miR-200 inhibits expression of ZEB1/2 mRNA, which in turn can down-regulate the miR-200 family that further results in down-regulation of E-cadherin and induction of a mesenchymal phenotype. Recent studies show that the expression of miR-200 genes is high during late pregnancy and lactation, thereby indicating that these miRs are important for breast epithelial morphogenesis and differentiation. miR-200 genes have been studied intensively in relation to breast cancer progression and metastasis, where it has been shown that miR-200 members are down-regulated in basal-like breast cancer where the EMT phenotype is prominent. There is growing evidence that the miR-200 family is up-regulated in distal breast metastasis indicating that these miRs are important for colonization of metastatic breast cancer cells through induction of mesenchymal to epithelial transition. The dual role of miR-200 in primary and metastatic breast cancer is of interest for future therapeutic interventions, making it important to understand its role and interacting partners in more detail. Landspitali University Hospital Science Fund University of Iceland Research Fund Science and Technology Policy Council-Research fund "Gongum saman," a supporting group for breast cancer research in Iceland