Soyb ean-derive d gma-miR159a alleviates colon tumorigenesis by suppressing TCF7/MYC in mice

Previous reports have shown that plant-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate mammalian gene expression through dietary intake. Our prior study found that gma-miR159a, which is abundant in soybean, significantly inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells. In the current study, dietary gmamiR159a was utilized to study its anti-colon cancer function in azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon cancer mice. Under processing conditions, gma-miR159a exhibited excellent stability in cooked soybean. In vitro , gma-miR159a suppressed the expression of the oncogene MYC downstream of the Wnt signaling pathway by targeting the TCF7 gene, significantly inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells. The in vivo experiments showed that gma-miR159a and soybean RNA (total RNA extracted from soybean) significantly reduced tumor growth in AOM/DSS-induced colon cancer mice by gavage. This effect disappeared when anti-miR159a was present. In addition, gma-miR159a and soybean RNA significantly attenuated inflammation in colon cancer mice. These results showed that long-term dietary intake of soybean-derived gma-miR159a effectively prevented the occurrence of colon cancer and colitis, which provides novel evidence for the prevention function of soybean. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Plant-derived microRNA, specifically gma-miR159a in soybean, showed promising anti-colon cancer effects both in vitro and in vivo, inhibiting tumor growth and inflammation in colon cancer mice. This study provides novel evidence for the preventive function of soybean in colon cancer and colitis.