miR-198 inhibits migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting the HGF/c-MET pathway

► miR-198 directly targets c-MET via its 3′UTR. ► miR-198 expression reduced c-MET expression and HGF induced p44/42 MAPK activation. ► miR-198 expression inhibited HGF promotion of HCC cell migration and invasion. Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and microRNAs have been implicated to influence this process. Emerging evidence indicates that miR-198 is down-regulated in HCC compared to normal liver parenchyma, but the functional roles of miR-198 in HCC cells remains unexplored. Herein, we show that miR-198 directly targets c-MET via its 3′UTR. Forced expression of miR-198 decreased c-MET expression at both mRNA and protein levels and consequently diminished HGF induced phosphorylation of p44/42 MAPK in HCC cells. Forced expression of miR-198 inhibited HGF promotion of HCC cell migration and invasion in a c-MET dependent manner. In conclusion, we have identified miR-198 as a novel suppressor of HCC cell invasion by negative regulation of the HGF/c-MET pathway.