microRNA-200a (miR-200a)

microRNA-200a (miR-200a) is a small non-coding RNA belonging to the miR-200 family, which includes five members (miR-200a, miR-200b, miR-200c, miR-141, miR-429) clustered on chromosomes 1 and 12[1][8]. miR-200a functions primarily as a post-transcriptional regulator of gene expression by binding to complementary sequences in the 3′ untranslated regions of target mRNAs, leading to their degradation or translational repression[1][2][8]. It plays a critical role in inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting key transcription factors such as ZEB1 and ZEB2, thus maintaining epithelial cell characteristics and suppressing cancer cell invasion, migration, and metastasis[1][2][6][8]. miR-200a is implicated as a tumor suppressor in several cancer types, including non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, where lower expression correlates with increased tumor proliferation and poorer prognosis[2][3][4][6]. It is frequently downregulated in tumors, and restoration of its expression can inhibit proliferation, induce cell cycle arrest, and increase apoptosis in cancer cells[3][4]. miR-200a may serve as both a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in several epithelial cancers and is a promising target for novel cancer therapies, though its broad regulatory scope raises challenges for therapeutic specificity and safety[5][6].

Other names

miR-200ahsa-miR-200a

Indirect regulation of target gene expression by RNA interference (base pairing to 3’ UTR of mRNAs to promote degradation or inhibit translation)