miR-27a acts as an oncogene to regulate endometrial cancer progression by targeting USP46

Endometrial cancer (EC) ranks as the fourth most common diagnosed cancer type in females worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators with crucial roles in regulating diverse biologic processes, including tumor initiation and progression. Previous studies have demonstrated that miR-27a was correlated with the tumorigenesis of various cancers. However, its expression and biologic role in EC remain to be determined. This study aimed to clarify whether miR-27a acts as an oncogene in endometrial cancer (EC) by downregulating ubiquitin specific peptidase 46 (USP46). Expression of miR-27a was measured by qRT-PCR, and the results demonstrated that miR-27a was upregulated in EC cell lines compared to normal cell lines. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and wound-healing assays demonstrated that overexpression of miR-27a significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration. Online prediction algorithm and dual luciferase activity reporter assay revealed that USP46 acts as a direct target of miR-27a. USP46 expression was downregulated in EC cell lines during miR-27a overexpression. Collectively, our results indicated that miR-27a targets USP46 to promote EC cell proliferation and migration, suggesting an oncogene role of miR-27a in EC.