NMDA Mediated Contextual Conditioning Changes miRNA Expression

We measured the expression of 187 miRNAs using quantitative real time PCR in the hippocampal CA1 region of contextually conditioned mice and cultured embryonic rat hippocampal neurons after neuronal stimulation with either NMDA or bicuculline. Many of the changes in miRNA expression after these three types of stimulation were similar. Surprisingly, the expression level of half of the 187 measured miRNAs was changed in response to contextual conditioning in an NMDA receptor-dependent manner. Genes that control miRNA biogenesis and components of the RISC also exhibited activity induced expression changes and are likely to contribute to the widespread changes in the miRNA profile. The widespread changes in miRNA expression are consistent with the finding that genes up-regulated by contextual conditioning have longer 3′ UTRs and more predicted binding sites for miRNAs. Among the miRNAs that changed their expression after contextual conditioning, several inhibit inhibitors of the mTOR pathway. These findings point to a role for miRNAs in learning and memory that includes mTOR-dependent modulation of protein synthesis

The tumour suppressor miR-34c targets MET in prostate cancer cells.

Background:The microRNA, miR-34c, is a well-established regulator of tumour suppression. It is downregulated in most forms of cancers and inhibits malignant growth by repressing genes involved in processes such as proliferation, anti-apoptosis, stemness, and migration. We have previously reported downregulation and tumour suppressive properties for miR-34c in prostate cancer (PCa).Methods:In this study, we set out to further characterize the mechanisms by which miR-34c deregulation contributes to PCa progression. The genes regulated by miR-34c in the PCa cell line PC3 were identified by microarray analyses and were found to be enriched in cell death, cell cycle, cellular growth, and cellular movement pathways. One of the identified targets was MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase activated by hepatocyte growth factor, that is crucial for metastatic progression.Results:We confirmed the inhibitory effect of miR-34c on both MET transcript and protein levels. The binding of miR-34c to two binding sites in the 3'-UTR of MET was validated using luciferase reporter assays and target site blockers. The effect of this regulation on the miR-34c inhibition of the migratory phenotype was also confirmed. In addition, a significant inverse correlation between miR-34c expression levels and MET immunostaining was found in PCa patients.Conclusion:These findings provide a novel molecular mechanism of MET regulation in PCa and contribute to the increasing evidence that miR-34c has a key tumour suppressive role in PCa.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication, 6 August 2013; doi:10.1038/bjc.2013.449 www.bjcancer.com

microRNA-155, Induced by Interleukin-1ß, Represses the Expression of Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor (MITF-M) in Melanoma Cells

Loss of expression of surface antigens represents a significant problem for cancer immunotherapy. Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF-M) regulates melanocyte fate by driving expression of many differentiation genes, whose protein products can be recognized by cytolytic T lymphocytes. We previously reported that interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) can downregulate MITF-M levels. Here we show that downregulation of MITF-M expression by IL-1ß was paralleled by an upregulation of miR-155 expression in four melanoma lines. We confirmed that miR-155 was able to target endogenous MITF-M in melanoma cells and demonstrated a role for miR-155 in the IL-1ß-induced repression of MITF-M by using an antagomiR. Notably, we also observed a strong negative correlation between MITF-M and miR-155 levels in a mouse model of melanoma. Taken together, our results indicate that MITF-M downregulation by inflammatory stimuli might be partly due to miR-155 upregulation. This could represent a novel mechanism of melanoma immune escape in an inflammatory microenvironment