miR-378a-3p Targets NUAK2 to Inhibit Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells

Objective To explore the mechanism of microRNA-378a-3p（miR-378a-3p） affecting the development of breast cancer（BC） cells. Methods The expression of miR-378a-3p in BC cells based on the Cancer Genome Atlas Program database was analyzed. The starBase, miRDB, and miRWalk databases were used to predict the target genes of miR-378a-3p. Double-luciferase reporter experiments were performed to verify the targeted regulation of miR-378a-3p on NUAK family kinase 2（NUAK2）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses were used to detect the expression of miR-378a-3p and NUAK2m RNA and protein in BC cells. Cell proliferation ability was detected through cell-proliferation experiments.Cell scratch assay and invasion assay were used to detect the migration and invasion abilities of cells,respectively. Apoptosis and cell-cycle experiments were conducted to detect cell apoptosis rate and cell cycle distribution. Results The expression of miR-378a-3p was significantly downregulated in BC cells, and miR-3