MiR-765 functions as a tumour suppressor and eliminates lipids in clear cell renal cell carcinoma by downregulating PLP2.

backgroundLipid accumulation has been highlighted in cancer development and progression, but the exact mechanism remains unclear in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been confirmed to participate in the pathological processes of cancers, including tumour occurrence and inhibition. However, the role and mechanism of miR-765 have not been elucidated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

methodsUsing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and qRT-PCR, we investigated differences in miR-765 and proteolipid protein 2 (PLP2) expression, as well as their clinical relevance. To investigate the function of miR-765 and PLP2 in ccRCC, we performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to explore their biological functions in ccRCC.

findingsIn this study, we showed that miR-765 was upregulated in the plasma of ccRCC patients after tumour resection. Consistently, ccRCC tissues had low expression of miR-765 when compared with corresponding non-cancerous tissues. Overexpression of miR-765 suppressed cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that PLP2 was a direct target gene of miR-765. PLP2 was highly expressed in ccRCC tissues, and high PLP2 levels were positively correlated with higher tumour stage and grade and poor prognosis. PLP2 expression was negatively correlated with the miR-765 level in patient samples. We further showed that PLP2 restrained the cell metastasis and proliferation induced by miR-765 and reduced the lipid-eliminating effects of miR-765 in renal cancer cells.

interpretationOur findings suggest that miR-765 may function as a tumour suppressor and eliminate lipids in clear cell renal cell carcinoma by targeting PLP2.

fundingThis work was funded the grants from the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (Grant No. 81672528, 81672524, 81602218, 31741032, 81902588).