Figure 10.

Model of the mechanism by which miR-346 suppresses XPC then activating ERK/Snail pathway, which leads to down-regulation of E-Cadherin expression and facilitates cell proliferation and metastasis, and inhibits cell apoptosis in lung cancer. miR-346 directly targeting 3′-UTR of XPC mRNA, contributes to down-regulation of XPC protein. The deficiency of XPC induces the accumulation of the endogenous DNA damage, which activates the ERK pathway. The activated ERK pathway then enhances the expression of Snail, which further represses the expression of E-Cadherin. Decreased expression of E-Cadherin by XPC silencing leads to a promotion of lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, and inhibition of lung cancer cell apopt osis.