组蛋白修饰和miRNAs在肿瘤恶性进展中起着重要作用。我们前期研究证实:转录因子Snai2和组蛋白甲基化修饰因子EZH2能够抑制E-cadherin表达调控EMT，促进舌鳞癌侵袭转移；同时，我们还发现EZH2能够调控Snai2和Suz12的表达；进一步研究提示miRNAs(如miR-204和miR-320)可能参与此过程。因此，我们推测EZH2可通过表观遗传机制影响miRNAs的表达进而调控Suz12及Snai2和/或其它肿瘤转移相关信号通路，促进舌鳞癌侵袭转移。本课题拟在这些工作的基础上，深入研究EZH2及其调控的miRNAs和EMT相关调控因子在舌鳞癌中的表达和生物学功能，探讨EZH2调控miRNAs促进舌鳞癌EMT及侵袭转移的分子机制。

Histone modifications and miRNAs play pivotal role in cancer development and progression. In our previous study, we confirmed that EZH2 and Snai2 could promote invasion and metastasis by suppressing E-cadherin expression in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. We also found that EZH2 could enhance the expression of Snai2 and Suz12 which may be mediated by miRNAs. Therefore, we propose that EZH2 mediated loss of miRNAs may regulate EMT related transcriptional factors and/or metastasis associated genes to promote invasion and metastasis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. In this project, we aim to investigate the molecular mechanism which EZH2 regulates miRNAs to promote invasion and metastasis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.