Induction of microRNAs, mir-155, mir-222, mir-424 and mir-503, promotes monocytic differentiation through combinatorial regulation

ARR Forrest, M Kanamori-Katayama, Y Tomaru… - Leukemia, 2010 - nature.com
ARR Forrest, M Kanamori-Katayama, Y Tomaru, T Lassmann, N Ninomiya, Y Takahashi…
Leukemia, 2010nature.com
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) involves a block in terminal differentiation of the myeloid
lineage and uncontrolled proliferation of a progenitor state. Using phorbol myristate acetate
(PMA), it is possible to overcome this block in THP-1 cells (an M5-AML containing the MLL-
MLLT3 fusion), resulting in differentiation to an adherent monocytic phenotype. As part of
FANTOM4, we used microarrays to identify 23 microRNAs that are regulated by PMA. We
identify four PMA-induced microRNAs (mir-155, mir-222, mir-424 and mir-503) that when …
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) involves a block in terminal differentiation of the myeloid lineage and uncontrolled proliferation of a progenitor state. Using phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), it is possible to overcome this block in THP-1 cells (an M5-AML containing the MLL-MLLT3 fusion), resulting in differentiation to an adherent monocytic phenotype. As part of FANTOM4, we used microarrays to identify 23 microRNAs that are regulated by PMA. We identify four PMA-induced microRNAs (mir-155, mir-222, mir-424 and mir-503) that when overexpressed cause cell-cycle arrest and partial differentiation and when used in combination induce additional changes not seen by any individual microRNA. We further characterize these pro-differentiative microRNAs and show that mir-155 and mir-222 induce G2 arrest and apoptosis, respectively. We find mir-424 and mir-503 are derived from a polycistronic precursor mir-424-503 that is under repression by the MLL-MLLT3 leukemogenic fusion. Both of these microRNAs directly target cell-cycle regulators and induce G1 cell-cycle arrest when overexpressed in THP-1. We also find that the pro-differentiative mir-424 and mir-503 downregulate the anti-differentiative mir-9 by targeting a site in its primary transcript. Our study highlights the combinatorial effects of multiple microRNAs within cellular systems.
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