miR-125b targets erythropoietin and its receptor and their expression correlates with metastatic potential and ERBB2/HER2 expression

Background The microRNA 125b is a double-faced gene expression regulator described both as a tumor suppressor gene (in solid tumors) and an oncogene (in hematologic malignancies). In human breast cancer, it is one of the most down-regulated miRNAs and is able to modulate ERBB2/3 expression. Here, we investigated its targets in breast cancer cell lines after miRNA-mimic transfection. We examined the interactions of the validated targets with ERBB2 oncogene and the correlation of miR-125b expression with clinical variables. Methods MiR-125b possible targets were identified after transfecting a miRNA-mimic in MCF7 cell line and analyzing gene expression modifications with Agilent microarrays and Sylamer bioinformatic tool. Erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor (EPOR) were validated as targets of miR-125b by luciferase assay and their expression was assessed by RT-qPCR in 42 breast cancers and 13 normal samples. The molecular talk between EPOR and ERBB2 transcripts, through miR-125b, was explored transfecting MDA-MD-453 and MDA-MB-157 with ERBB2 RNA and using RT-qPCR. Results We identified a panel of genes down-regulated after miR-125b transfection and putative targets of miR-125b. Among them, we validated erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor (EPOR) - frequently overexpressed in breast cancer - as true targets of miR-125b. Moreover, we explored possible correlations with clinical variables and we found a down-regulation of miR-125b in metastatic breast cancers and a significant positive correlation between EPOR and ERBB2/HER2 levels, that are both targets of miR-125b and function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Conclusions Taken together our results show a mechanism for EPO/EPOR and ERBB2 co-regulation in breast cancer and confirm the importance of miR-125b in controlling clinically-relevant cancer features.