MicroRNA-200b targets CREB1 and suppresses cell growth in human malignant glioma

MicroRNAs can coordinately repress multiple target genes and interfere with the biological functions of the cell, such as proliferation and apoptosis. In the present study, we report that miR-200b was downregulated in malignant glioma cell lines and specimens. Overexpression of miR-200b suppressed the proliferation and colony formation of glioma cells. An oncogene encoding cAMP responsive element-binding protein 1 (CREB1), which has been shown to be an important transcription factor involved in the proliferation, survival, and metastasis of tumor cells, was here confirmed as a direct target gene of miR-200b. CREB1 was also found to be present at a high level in human glioma tissues. This was inversely correlated with miR-200b expression. Ectopic expression of CREB1 attenuated the growth suppressive phenotypes of glioma cells caused by miR-200b. These results indicate that miR-200b targets the CREB1 gene and suppresses glioma cell growth, suggesting that miR-200b shows tumor-suppressive activity in human malignant glioma.