FTOregulated mA modification of primiR139 represses papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasis.

Objectives: Increasing detection of low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is associated with overdiagnosis and overtreatment. N6-methyladenosine (mA)-mediated microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation plays a critical role in tumor metastasis and progression. However, the functional role of mA-miRNAs in PTC remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of mA-miR-139-5p expression in PTC, determine its association with PTC metastasis, and evaluate its potential as a diagnostic biomarker for PTC metastasis, thereby providing experimental evidence for precision diagnosis and therapy.

Methods: Expression profiles of mA-miRNAs were compared between the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE130512 cohorts to identify metastasis-associated candidates. Clinical specimens from 13 metastasis and 18 non-metastasis PTC patients were analyzed to assess mA-miR-139-5p expression and its correlation with metastasis. Functional experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) on pri-miR-139 methylation and processing, clarifying its regulatory role in miR-139-5p expression. In TPC-1 cells, MTT assays were performed to evaluate whether miR-139-5p overexpression could counteract FTO-mediated cell proliferation. Transwell invasion assays were used to determine the impact of miR-139-5p on PTC cell invasion, exploring whether it functions through the ZEB1/E-cadherin axis.

Results: By comparing TCGA and GSE130512 cohorts, it was found that circulating mA-miR-139-5p could serve as a biological indicator for detecting PTC metastasis. Detection of 13 metastatic and 18 non-metastatic clinical specimens showed that FTO inhibited the processing of pri-miR-139 by reducing its methylation level, leading to the dysregulation of miR-139-5p in PTC (<0.05). In TPC-1 cells, MTT assay showed that overexpression of miR-139-5p could partially reverse FTO overexpression-mediated cell proliferation (<0.05). In addition, miR-139-5p inhibited the invasive ability of PTC cells by targeting the ZEB1/E-cadherin axis, while FTO overexpression could partially weaken this inhibitory effect.

Conclusions: Circulating miR-139-5p can be a potential marker for evaluating PTC metastasis. FTO affects the expression and function of miR-139-5p by regulating mA modification of pri-miR-139, but its clinical value needs further verification.