miR-485-5p acts as a negative regulator in gastric cancer progression by targeting flotillin-1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in cancer progression including gastric cancer. miR-485-5p is reported as a potential suppressor in breast cancer, but its expression, cellular function and clinic features in gastric cancer is not known. In our study, we found that miR-485-5p expression was down-regulated in gastric cancer cell lines. miR-485-5p could inhibit gastric cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. We also found that miR-485-5p suppressed gastric cancer cell metastasis and sphere formation. It was confirmed flotillin-1 (Flot1) as a direct target of miR-485-5p, and up-regulation of miR-485-5p could decrease expression of Flot1 in gastric cancer cells. Further investigation showed that ectopic expression of Flot1 partially reversed the inhibition effect of enforced miR-485-5p expression on the malignant phenotypes of gastric cancer cells. The low expression of miR-485-5p in gastric cancer tissues was related to advanced clinical features and poorer prognosis. Our study suggested that miR-485-5p could be a potential prognostic marker and functions as a tumor suppressor in human gastric cancer by post-transcriptionally targeting Flot1.