RETRACTED: MicroRNA-613 targets FMNL2 and suppresses progression of colorectal cancer (Retracted article. See vol. 14, pg. 676, 2022)

Increasing evidence indicates that dysregulation of miRNAs is involved in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). MicroRNA (miR)-613 has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. However, the precise role of miR-613 in CRC progression is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of miR-613 in growth and metastasis of CRC. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blot techniques were used to assess expression of miR-613 and formin-like 2 (FMNL2) in CRC cell lines and tissues. Luciferase reporter assays were conducted to investigate the association between miR-613 and FMNL2. Proliferation, wound healing, and transwell invasion assays, as well as flow cytometric analysis, were performed to evaluate the effect of miR-613 on proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell-cycle status, respectively, of CRC cells. We found that miR-613 was significantly downregulated in CRC cell lines and tissue samples, and correlated closely with TNM stage. miR-613 suppressed CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induced cell-cycle arrest at G1 phase. FMNL2 was identified as a direct target of miR-613 in CRC cells. Importantly, FMNL2 overexpression rescued miR-613-induced suppression of proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. These results suggest that miR-613 functions as a tumor suppressor in the progression of CRC by regulating FMNL2.