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Identification of microRNA expression profiles of CD44+ ovarian cancer stem cells

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of our study was to investigate microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in CD44+ ovarian cancer stem cells (ovarian CSCs).

Methods

In this study, we enriched CD44+ ovarian CSCs using magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS). A combination of real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and sphere formation assays was used to demonstrate stem cell-like properties. RNA sequencing was used to detect the miRNA expression profiles in CD44+ ovarian CSCs. Transient transfection, qRT-PCR, western blot and sphere formation assays were further used to test the function of miR-181a-2-3p.

Results

We found that CD44+ ovarian CSCs showed enhanced sphere formation and expression of stemness-associated genes (NANOG, OCT4, SOX2) compared to ovarian cancer cells. The RNA sequencing results showed that the miRNA expression profiles of CD44+ ovarian CSCs were different from those of ovarian cancer cells. GO and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that these miRNAs regulate stem cell-like properties in CD44+ ovarian CSCs. In addition, miR-181a-2-3p negatively regulates the stem cell-like properties of CD44+ ovarian CSCs by targeting EGR1.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that miRNAs play important roles in regulating the stem cell-like properties of CD44+ ovarian CSCs.

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Funding

This research work was funded by Nanjing Medical Science and Technique Development Foundation (grant number ZKX17042) Nanjing Technological Developmen Program (grant number 201715050).

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Author notes

  1. Luyao Wang, Xiaogai Zhi and Yingying Lu contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Institute, Women’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, 210004, China

    Luyao Wang, Yingying Lu, Yu Cong & Ziyi Fu

  2. Department of Gynecology, Women’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, 210004, China

    Luyao Wang, Xiaogai Zhi, Yingying Lu, Yu Cong, Jian Cao, Juan Lv & Hongjie Ruan

  3. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, 210004, China

    Sujuan Xu

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  1. Luyao Wang
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design: LW; XZ; YL; YC; ZF; JC; SX; JL; HR. Cell biology technique (cell culture): LW; XZ; YL; YC. Molecular biology technique (QRT-PCR, WB): LW; XZ; YL. Data analysis and interpretation: LW; XZ; YL; YC; ZF; JC; SX; JL; HR. Writing—original draft preparation: LW; XZ; YL. Writing—review and editing: HR. Funding acquisition: HR. Supervision: SX; JL; HR.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sujuan Xu, Juan Lv or Hongjie Ruan.

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Wang, L., Zhi, X., Lu, Y. et al. Identification of microRNA expression profiles of CD44+ ovarian cancer stem cells. Arch Gynecol Obstet 306, 461–472 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-021-06387-y

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