Fig. 2.

CRNDE binds to miR-181a-5p and represses its expression. a Schematic illustration of the predicted binding sites between CRNDE and miR-181a-5p, and mutation of potential miR-181a-5p binding sequence in CRNDE. b Luciferase assays in 293 T cells transfected CRNDE wild type or mutants with miR-181a-5p (*P < 0.05). c Expression levels of miR-181a-5p as determined by qRT-PCR in 64 CRC samples compared to those in adjacent normal tissue samples (P < 0.001). d Expression levels of CRNDE and e miR-181a-5p as determined by qRT-PCR in HCT116 and SW480 cells transfected with siRNA targeting CRNDE (siR-CRNDE) or a control siRNA (siR-control) (*P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001). f Expression levels of CRNDE and g miR-181a-5p as determined by qRT-PCR in HCT116 and SW480 cells transfected with plasmids overexpressing wild type, mutant CRNDE or an empty vector (*P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001). h HEK293T were transfected with CRNDE, S1-CRNDE or S1-CRNDE mutant with or without miR-181a-5p inhibitor, then pull-down assays were performed (*P < 0.05). i Inverse correlation between the expression levels of CRNDE and those of miR-181a-5p in 64 CRC samples (r = −0.632, P < 0.001)