miR-203 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Migration of Lung Cancer Cells by Targeting PKCα

PKC alpha (protein kinase C alpha, PRKCA) is an important protein involved in several steps of signaling pathways in lung cancer, and microRNAs (miRNAs) have also been shown to participate in lung carcinogenesis. However, it is not clear how PKC alpha and miRNAs are correlated in the disease. In this report, we aimed to identify novel miRNAs that target PKC alpha and to study their biological function. Using bioinformatics analysis, we predicted one novel candidate, miR-203, and found differential expression patterns of miR-203 and PKC alpha in human lung cancer tissues. Moreover, we experimentally validated miR-203 as a direct regulator of PKC alpha. Finally, we demonstrated that the targeting of PKC alpha by miR-203 played a critical role in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration in lung cancer cells. In summary, this study identifies a novel miRNA that targets PKC alpha and illustrates that the downregulation of PKC alpha by miR-203 modulates biological processes in lung cancer cells.