A CREB1/miR-433 reciprocal feedback loop modulates proliferation and metastasis in colorectal cancer

Increasing evidence has indicated the prognostic value of miR-433 across a series of malignancy types. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in cancer progression haven’t been sufficiently elucidated. In the present work, we found that miR-433 was downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-433 obviously suppressed the proliferation, invasion and metastasis activity of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. CREB1, CCAR1 and JNK1 were highly expressed and negatively correlated with miR-433 expression in CRC. CRC patients with higher expression of CREB1, CCAR1 or JNK1 presented a worse outcome relative to those with lower expression. CREB1 transactivated the expression of miR-433, and CREB1, CCAR1 and JNK1 simultaneously served as its targets, which in turn composed a feedback loop between CREB1 and miR-433. miR-433 blocked cell cycle progression and abolished EMT. Collectively, our study demonstrated the CREB1/miR-433 reciprocal feedback loop restrained the propagation, invasion and metastasis activities of CRC cells through abrogation of cell cycle progression and constraint of EMT.