miR-23a promotes IKKα expression but suppresses ST7L expression to contribute to the malignancy of epithelial ovarian cancer cells
Authors: Xin Li
Hua Tang
Zhen Yang
Xiang-Ling Wang
Wei-Ying Liu
Min Liu
Ru Bai
Journal: British Journal of Cancer (2016)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: miR-23a; IKKα; ST7L; epithelial ovarian cancer; tumorigenic activity
Affiliations: Tianjin Life Science Research Center and Department of Pathogen Biology, Basic Medical School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China., Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.

Abstract:  Background: Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been found in human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, the role and mechanism of action of miR-23a in EOC remain unclear. Methods: The roles of miR-23a, IKKα, and ST7L in EOC were determined by MTT, colony formation, wounding healing, transwell, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, and western blotting experiments. miR-23a target genes were validated by EGFP reporter assays, RT-qPCR, and western blotting analysis. Results: miR-23a is upregulated and promotes tumorigenic activity by facilitating the progress of cell cycle and EMT and repressing apoptosis in EOC cells. miR-23a enhances the expression of IKKα but suppresses the expression of ST7L by binding the 3'UTR of each transcript in EOC cells. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of EOC cells are increased by IKKα and inhibited by ST7L. Furthermore, miR-23a activates NF-κB by upregulating IKKα and WNT/MAPK pathway by downregulating ST7L. Conclusions: miR-23a functions as an oncogene by targeting IKKα and ST7L, thus contributing to the malignancy of EOC cells. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 The authors considered in this paper the interval valued preference matrices and defined the additive consistency in Definition 7. The motivation of such a definition is clear. As proved in Proposition 2, the restrictions on the additive consistency for a real valued preference matrix can be reduced to those on upper triangular elements only because the preference matrix is u201cskew-symmetricu201d in the sense that $R+R^T$ is the matrix of all ones. However, such a relation cannot be directly extended to the interval valued scenarios as done in Definition 7 by the authors because the u201cskew-symmetryu201d requirements in Definition 6, which are more complicated than those in the real valued case, should be taken into account as well. Without considering the requirements in Definition 6, it is clear the restrictions in Definition 7 for consistency may be broken by relabeling the alternatives. For example, consider the interval valued preference matrix for ${x_1, x_2, x_3}$ $$[0.5, 0.5] quad [0.3, 0.4] quad [0.2, 0.5]$$ $$[0.6, 0.7] quad [0.5, 0.5] quad [0.4, 0.6]$$ $$[0.5, 0.8] quad [0.4, 0.6] quad [0.5, 0.5]$$ It meets the restrictions in Definition 7 and hence additive consistent. However, let $$x_1 to y_3$$ $$x_2 to y_1$$ $$x_3 to y_2$$ The preference matrix **with the essentially same preference information** for ${y_1, y_2, y_3}$ becomes $$[0.5, 0.5] quad [0.4, 0.6] quad [0.6, 0.7]$$ $$[0.4, 0.6] quad [0.5, 0.5] quad [0.5, 0.8]$$ $$[0.3, 0.4] quad [0.2, 0.5] quad [0.5, 0.5]$$ It does not meet the restrictions in Definition 7 and hence not additive consistent. As a result, such a definition is meaningless and the results based on such a notion are not sound. ![file] ![file] , 
 Thank you for your comments. When relabeling the alternatives, the additive consistency will not be remained. This has been point out by Wang et al. (please see: Wang Z.J., A note on u201cIncomplete interval fuzzy preference relations and their applicationsu201d, Computers Industrial Engineering, 2014, 77:65-69.) Actually, at present, there is no perfect definition to describe the consistency for interval-valued preference relations. All the definitions only consider one or two cases, there always exists defects for the consistency of interval-valued preference relations. Overall, thank you for your thoughtful comments. , 
 #2 The additive consistency should be retained when the alternatives are relabeled. ,