MiR-132-3p serves as a tumor suppressor in mantle cell lymphoma via directly targeting SOX11

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), comprising about 6% of NHL cases. SOX11 is a member of the group C of Sry-related high-mobility group (HMG) box (Sox) transcription factors, which is ubiquitously expressed in approximate 90% MCL cases. However, the underlying mechanisms of the SOX11 expression aberration are not fully unveiled. In the present study, we firstly observed that miR-132-3p was dramatically down-regulated in CD19⁺ lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of MCL patients. Subsequently, we found miR-132-3p exhibited potentials in clinical application, indicated by its negative association with high-risk clinical features. In terms of function, ectopic miR-132-3p aggravated cell apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in G0/G1, and then inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Also, we identified miR-132-3p's direct target, SOX11, in MCL cell lines, and loss-function of SOX11 blocked its inhibitory effect on cell proliferation in vitro. Collectively, our observations bring about a novel mechanism to explain the aberrant expression of SOX11 in MCL. Therefore, miR-132-3p may be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of MCL.