MicroRNA-182 Inhibits Human Corneal Epithelial Cell Proliferation and Migration

Abstract

Purpose: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous short (~22) nucleotide RNAs which inhibit protein translation through binding to target mRNAs. Recent studies have demonstrated that miR-182 can regulate tumor cell proliferation and migration. The role of miR-182 in corneal wound healing, however, remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the function of miR-182 in human corneal epithelial cells.

Methods: Realtime RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of miR-182 in mouse corneal epithelium during wound healing process. Human corneal epithelial cells were transfected with miR-34a. MTS and wound-healing assay was carried out to evaluate the effect of miR-182 on human corneal epithelial cell proliferation and migration, respectively. The expression of c-Met protein was determined by Western blotting.

Results: miR-182 was downregulated during corneal wound healing process. Transfection of miR-182 into human corneal epithelial cells led to a significant decrease in cell proliferation and migration. miR-182 downregulated the expression of c-Met by Western blot analysis.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that miR-182 inhibited human corneal epithelial cell proliferation and migration by downregulation of c-Met. This indicates that miR-182 may play an important role in corneal wound healing process.

Keywords: 482 cornea: epithelium • 765 wound healing • 533 gene/expression