Many cervical cancer (CC) patients experience early cancer metastasis, resulting in poor therapeutic outcome after resection of primary cancer. Hence, there is a compelling requirement for understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the invasiveness control of CC. Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (Pttg1) has been recently reported to promote cancer cell growth and metastasis in a number of various tumors. However, its regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as its role in CC have not been clarified. Here, we reported significantly higher levels of Pttg1 and significantly lower levels of miR-494 in the resected CC tissue, compared with the adjacent normal cervical tissue from the same patient. Interestingly, Pttg1 levels inversely correlated with miR-494 levels. In vitro, Pttg1 levels determined CC cell invasiveness and were inhibited by miR-494 levels. However, miR-494 levels were not affected by Pttg1 levels. Furthermore, miR-494 inhibited Pttg1 expression in CC cells, through directly binding and inhibition on 3'-UTR of Pttg1 mRNA. Together, our data suggest that Pttg1 may increase CC cell metastasis, which is negatively regulated by miR-494. Our work thus highlights a novel molecular regulatory machinery in metastasis of CC.
Keywords: Cancer metastasis; Cervical cancer; Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1; miR-494.