miR-183 regulates autophagy and apoptosis in colorectal cancer through targeting of UVRAG

Ultraviolet radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG) is a well-known regulator of autophagy by promoting autophagosome formation and maturation. Multiple studies have implicated UVRAG in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of UVRAG are unclear. Here, we describe miR-183 as a new autophagy-inhibiting miRNA. Our results showed that induction of autophagy lead to down-regulation of miR-183 in colorectal cancer cells. And, over-expression of miR-183 resulted in the attenuation of rapamycin- or starvation-induced autophagy in cancer cells, whereas inhibition of endogenous miR-183 stimulated autophagy and apoptosis. Additionally, either autophagy inhibitor 3-MA or pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK respectively or both treatments reversed AMO-183-induced cell death. Further studies showed that UVRAG is a target of miR-183 and as a key regulator promotes autophagy and apoptosis. More importantly, over-expression of UVRAG rescued autophagic activity and induced apoptosis in presence of miR-183. Therefore, the present study investigated the promoting effect of miR-183 on colorectal cancer progression, which was considered to be mediated by autophagy and apoptosis through targeting of UVRAG.