Inhibition of microRNA let‐7b expression by KDM2B promotes cancer progression by targeting EZH2 in ovarian cancer

MicroRNA let-7b is a potent tumor suppressor and targets crucial oncogenes. Previous studies have shown that let-7b expression is suppressed in ovarian cancer; however, the regulatory mechanisms of let-7b in ovarian cancer are still not well defined. The cellular role and targets of let-7b in ovarian cancer remain elusive. In the present study, we showed that histone demethylase, KDM2B, directly suppressed let-7b expression by H3K36me2 demethylation. Moreover, let-7b inhibited EZH2 expression in ovarian cancer cells. Based on these results we know that let-7b antagonizes the enhancement of EZH2 expression caused by KDM2B overexpression, and its expression is negatively correlated with KDM2B and EZH2 expression. More importantly, proliferation, migration, and wound healing assays showed that let-7b inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro. Additionally, let-7b overexpression neutralized KDM2B-promoted cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, downregulation of let-7b increased the xenografted tumor volumes in nude mice that were transplanted with KDM2B-silenced cells. EZH2 silencing reversed the tumor growth enhancement mediated by inhibition of let-7b. Last, we show that let-7b expression is suppressed in ovarian carcinomas and its expression is negatively associated with the clinicopathological features of ovarian cancer, including histological type, histological grade, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and lymph node metastatic status. In conclusion, in ovarian cancer, let-7b expression is epigenetically suppressed by high expression of KDM2B. The loss of let-7b upregulates the expression of EZH2, which promotes ovarian cancer growth in vitro and in vivo.