miRNA-mRNA interaction map in breast cancer

Abstract

MicroRNAs are a class of small endogenous RNA molecules that is involved in the posttranscriptional inhibition of gene expression. They directly interact with target gene transcripts and influence cellular physiology. MicroRNAs have been reported to be involved in breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis thus playing a vital role in cancer progression. Our study aims at identification of novel miRNA-mRNA target pairs that are hypothesized to play a role in breast cancer through a miRNA- mRNA interaction map analysis of microarray data and experimental validation of selected set of mRNAs. The target interaction map analysis revealed three novel target pairs, hsa-miR-27a–MARCKS, hsa-miR-27a–SIK1 and hsa-miR-21–BTG2 which can be potential therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Therefore, with the better understanding of the regulation of miRNAs, the gene networks and cellular pathways regulated by miRNAs, it will be of immense significance to further comprehend breast cancer pathogenesis and target interaction as a therapeutic for breast cancer.