Effect of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> on the Expression of miRNAs in Breast Cancer and Normal Mammary Epithelial Cells

oleh: Ananya Debbarma, Miranda Mansolf, Vishwa A. Khatri, Justine A. Valentino, Eva Sapi

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-06-01

Deskripsi

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated that inflammation due to infections with microorganisms could play a role in breast cancer development. One of the known human pathogens, <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>, the causative agent of Lyme disease, has been shown to be present in various types of breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. We reported that <i>B. burgdorferi</i> can invade breast cancer cells and affect their tumorigenic phenotype. To better understand the genome-wide genetic changes caused by <i>B. burgdorferi</i>, we evaluated the microRNA (miRNA or miR) expression profiles of two triple-negative breast cancer cell lines and one non-tumorigenic mammary cell line before and after <i>B. burgdorferi</i> infection. Using a cancer-specific miRNA panel, four miRNAs (miR-206, 214-3p, 16-5p, and 20b-5p) were identified as potential markers for Borrelia-induced changes, and the results were confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT-PCR). Among those miRNAs, miR-206 and 214 were the most significantly upregulated miRNAs. The cellular impact of miR-206 and 214 was evaluated using DIANA software to identify related molecular pathways and genes. Analyses showed that the cell cycle, checkpoints, DNA damage–repair, proto-oncogenes, and cancer-related signaling pathways are mostly affected by <i>B. burgdorferi</i> infection. Based on this information, we have identified potential miRNAs which could be further evaluated as biomarkers for tumorigenesis caused by pathogens in breast cancer cells.