Novel functions and targets of miR-944 in human cervical cancer cells

Altered expression of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) has been observed in human cervical cancer. However, the biological functions of many of these miRNAs are yet to be discovered. We previously showed that miR-944 is significantly more abundant in cervical cancer tissues than their normal counterparts. In this study, we investigated the functions and targets of miR-944 in human cervical cancer cells. MiR-944 is located in the intron of the tumor protein p63 (TP63) gene, which is frequently overexpressed in cervical carcinomas. Using gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vitro, we demonstrate that miR-944 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but has no effect on apoptosis, in human cervical cancer cells. To identify the targets of miR-944, we performed photoactivatable-ribonucleoside-enhanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing. Among the candidate targets, we validated HECW2 (HECT domain ligase W2) and S100PBP (S100P binding protein) as direct targets of miR-944 using luciferase reporter assays and western blot analysis. Our findings reveal novel functions and targets of miR-944 in human cervical cancer cells, which may provide new insights of its role in cervical carcinogenesis. What's new? While miR-944 has been shown to be associated with tumor development and progression in several tumor types, its functions and targets remain undetermined. This study stands out as the first report of miR-944 functions and targets in human cancer. The authors demonstrate that miR-944 functions as an oncogene in human cervical cancer cells by promoting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, they identified and validated HECW2 and S100PBP as direct targets of miR-944 in human cervical cancer cells. The findings provide new insights into the biological roles of miR-944 in human cervical cancer cells.