MicroRNA-145-5p inhibits the tumorigenesis of breast cancer through SENP2-regulated ubiquitination of ERK2

Breast carcinoma exhibits the highest incidence among various cancers and is the foremost cause of mortality in women. Increasing evidence shows that SUMOylation of proteins plays a critical role in the progression of breast cancer; however, the role of SENP2 and its molecular mechanism in breast cancer remain underexplored. Here, we discerned that SENP2 promoted the tumorigenesis of breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we identified that ERK2 was SUMOylated and that SENP2 played a role by deconjugating ERK2 SUMOylation in breast cancer. SUMOylation of ERK2 promoted its ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation, thus inhibiting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) has emerged as a scarce commodity in breast cancer and binds to the 3’-untranslated region of SENP2 mRNA to govern the regulatory dynamics of SENP2 expression. Finally, miR-145-5p inhibits SENP2 transcription, enhances ERK2 SUMOylation, and ultimately suppresses the progression of breast cancer. These revelations suggest evolving ideas for the miR-145-5p-SENP2 axis in therapeutic intervention, thus heralding transformative prospects for the clinical management of breast cancer.