MicroRNA-92 regulates cervical tumorigenesis and its expression is upregulated by human papillomavirus-16 E6 in cervical cancer cells

MicroRNA (miR)-92 is overexpressed in a number of tumors and has been proven to negatively regulate a number of tumor suppressor genes, including phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). However, its function and molecular mechanism(s) of action in squamous cervical carcinoma (SCCs) have not been well described. Furthermore, the correlation between miR-92 and human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 E6 has not been studied. In the present study, miR-92 expression levels were quantified using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in cervical cancer tissues, normal cervical tissues and cervical cancer cell lines. SiHa cells were transfected with either miR-92-mimics, anti-miR-92 or negative controls. C33A cells were stably transfected with pEGFP-N1-16E6 and pEGFP-N1-neo plasmids. The levels of PTEN protein expression in the transfected SiHa and C33A cells were evaluated using western blot analysis. The effects of miR-92 were detected using cell counting kit (CCK)-8 and Transwell assays. HPV16 E6 siRNA was used to detect the effectiveness of the E6 protein on miR-92 in the SiHa and C33A cells. miR-92 was highly-expressed in the human cervical cancer tissues compared with the normal tissues. In the HPV16-positive cervical cancer tissues, the expression of miR-92 was higher compared with the HPV16-negative cervical cancer tissues. HPV16 E6 upregulated miR-92 expression in the SiHa- and C33A-pEGFP-N1-16E6 cells. The upregulation of miR-92 promoted cell growth and invasion in the SiHa cells. PTEN protein expression was decreased in the SiHa cells that were transfected with the miR-92 mimic. The data indicated that miR-92 may increase the migration and invasion of SiHa cells, partially through the downregulation of PTEN protein expression. HPV16 E6 was identified to upregulate miR-92 expression.