ErbB2-intronic MicroRNA-4728: a novel tumor suppressor and antagonist of oncogenic MAPK signaling

Although the role of the ErbB2/HER2 oncogene in cancers has been extensively studied, how ErbB2 is regulated remains poorly understood. A novel microRNA, mir-4728, was recently found within an intron of the ErbB2 gene. However, the function and clinical relevance of this intronic miRNA are completely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that mir-4728 is a negative regulator of MAPK signaling through directly targeting the ERK upstream kinase MST4 and exerts numerous tumor-suppressive properties in vitro and in animal models. Importantly, our patient sample study shows that mir-4728 was under-expressed in breast tumors compared with normal tissue, and loss of mir-4728 correlated with worse overall patient survival. These results strongly suggest that mir-4728 is a tumor-suppressive miRNA that controls MAPK signaling through targeting MST4, revealing mir-4728’s significance as a potential prognostic factor and target for therapeutic intervention in cancer. Moreover, this study represents a conceptual advance by providing strong evidence that a tumor-suppressive miRNA can antagonize the canonical signaling of its host oncogene.