MiR-3653 inhibits the metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of colon cancer by targeting Zeb2

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been widely recognized to play critical roles in the pathogenic processes of colon cancer. However, the expression and functions of miR-3653 in colon cancer remain uncovered. This study revealed for the first time that miR-3653 expression was significantly decreased in colon cancer tissues and cell lines. MiR-3653 overexpression led to decreased migration and invasion of HCT116 cells while miR-3653 knockdown resulted in opposite influence of the metastatic behaviors of HT29 cells. qRT-PCR and western blot demonstrated that miR-3653 suppressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of colon cancer cells using both gain- and loss- of function assay. Mechanically, miR-3653 was found to interact with the 3'-UTR of Zeb2 through the complementary sequences and inhibited the expression of Zeb2 in colon cancer cells. Rescue experiments demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of miR-3653 overexpression on cell metastasis and EMT was abrogated by forced expression of Zeb2. This study demonstrates that miR-3653 suppresses the metastasis and EMT of colon cells by targeting Zeb2, and serves as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in colon cancer.