MicroRNA-492 is processed from the keratin 19 gene and up-regulated in metastatic hepatoblastoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well-known regulators of proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation and are recognized to play an important role in the development of cancers. Here we aimed to identify the functional contribution of miRNAs to the biology of hepatoblastoma (HB), the most common malignant liver tumor in childhood. As overexpression of the oncogene PLAG1 (pleomorphic adenoma gene 1) is a characteristic phenomenon in HB, we used RNA interference and subsequent miRNA array analysis to identify miR-492 as most strongly influenced by PLAG1. We provide novel experimental evidence that miR-492 can originate from the coding sequence of the HB marker gene keratin 19 (KRT19). In agreement with these in vitro observations, significantly elevated levels of coexpressed KRT19 and miR-492 were particularly found in metastatic HB tumor samples. Stable overexpression of miR-492 in HB cell clones served to identify a broad range of differentially expressed transcripts, including several candidate targets of miR-492 predicted by computational algorithms. Among those the liver enzyme BAAT showed significant association with miR-492 expression in HB tumor samples. Conclusion: A close functional relationship between KRT19 and miR-492 was identified that may play an important role in the progression of malignant embryonal liver tumors. Additionally, miR-492 and its associated targets might serve as new HB biomarkers of clinical utility and could assist to explore targeted therapies, especially in metastatic HB with a poor prognosis. (HEPATOLOGY 2011)