Abstract: Objective To investigate the regulation of EBV⁃miR⁃BART17⁃5p encoded by epstein⁃barr virus (EBV) on the proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and its mechanism. Methods The lentivirus  Vector control and EBV⁃miR⁃BART17⁃5p mimic were infected into HK1⁃EBV cells, and recorded as the Vector control group and the Mimic group, respectively. RT⁃qPCR was used to verify the infection efficiency of lentivirus. EdU and CCK⁃8 were used to detect the proliferation ability of cells. Colony formation ability of cells was detected by plate cloning assay. Cell migration ability was detected by cell scratch assay and Transwell assay. The protein expression of EBV⁃miR⁃BART17⁃5p target gene PTEN was detected by Western blot. Results Compared with the Vector control group, the expression of EBV⁃miR⁃BART17⁃5p in HK1⁃EBV cells of Mimic group was significantly increased (P<0.001), and the ability of cell proliferation, colony formation and migration were significantly enhanced (all P<0.05). The expression level of PTEN protein was significantly decreased (P<0.001). Conclusions EBV⁃miR⁃BART17⁃5p can regulate the proliferation and migration of HK1⁃EBV nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, and the mechanism may be related to the reverse regulation of the expression of tumor suppressor PTEN by EBV⁃miR⁃BART17⁃5p.

Key words: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, EBV-miR-BART17-5p, PTEN, Proliferation, Migration