MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as a major class of trans-factors that regulate expression of protein coding genes through their 3'UTRs, thereby controlling a diverse range of biological processes including cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. miRNAs pair with mRNAs of their target genes and the usual consequence is the downregulation of protein expression by translational repression, mRNA cleavage, or promotion of mRNA decay. Hundreds of miRNAs, many of them evolutionarily conserved, have been identified in mammals, and a fraction of these molecules exhibit highly specific, regulated expression patterns in the immune system. Genetic studies from us and other groups have demonstrated that miRNAs play critical roles in lymphocyte development, immune responses, and lymphomagenesis. However, little is known about the roles of miRNAs in autoimmune diseases. A large amount of genetic and epigenetic alterations in miRNA coding genes have been found in human patients. Among them is the amplification of the miR-17~92 gene, which encodes six distinct miRNAs, and the elevated expression of miR-17~92 miRNAs in cells carrying this gene amplification. We have generated a miR-17~92 transgene whose expression can be turned on conditionally by Cre recombinase in mice. Strikingly, the transgenic mice developed a lymphoproliferative and autoimmune disease, and died prematurely, when this transgene was turned on in both B and T lymphocytes using hCD2-iCre. Our preliminary studies showed that transgenic miR-17 ~ 92 expressions broke B cell tolerance in an anti-IgM macroself (5b-ms) superantigen transgenic model. We hypothesize that transgenic miR-17~92 expression causes autoimmune diseases mainly by breaking B cell tolerance. We now propose studies to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying miR-17~92 mediated breaking of B cell tolerance and development of autoimmune diseases, and to illustrate how alterations in miRNA expression contribute to autoimmunity and how miRNA clusters carry out their functions. We will determine the contribution of transgenic miR-17~92 expression in B cells to the autoimmune disease (Aim 1), assess the impact of transgenic miR-17~92 expression on B cell tolerance checkpoints (Aim 2), dissect the functional contribution of individual miRNAs in the miR-17~92 cluster to the breaking of B cell tolerance (Aim 3), and identify target genes and molecular pathways whose deregulation leads to the autoimmune disease in miR-17~92 transgenic mice (Aim 4). We will combine genetic, proteomic, genomic, molecular, and bioinformatic approaches to achieve these goals.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed study will shed light on the ways by which alterations in miRNA expression contribute to autoimmunity. Once the causative relationship between miRNA deregulation and human autoimmune diseases has been established, those miRNAs themselves can become valuable diagnostic markers and possible targets of therapeutics. Furthermore, miRNA target genes and the physical interactions between miRNAs and their key target mRNAs could make ideal targets for therapeutic interventions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI087634-05
Application #
8640880
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Rothermel, Annette L
Project Start
2010-05-15
Project End
2015-04-30
Budget Start
2014-05-01
Budget End
2015-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Scripps Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92037
Jin, Hyun Yong; Xiao, Changchun (2018) An Integrated Polysome Profiling and Ribosome Profiling Method to Investigate In Vivo Translatome. Methods Mol Biol 1712:1-18
Jin, Hyun Yong; Oda, Hiroyo; Chen, Pengda et al. (2017) Differential Sensitivity of Target Genes to Translational Repression by miR-17~92. PLoS Genet 13:e1006623
Lai, Maoyi; Gonzalez-Martin, Alicia; Cooper, Anthony B et al. (2016) Regulation of B-cell development and tolerance by different members of the miR-17?92 family microRNAs. Nat Commun 7:12207
Jin, H Y; Lai, M; Shephard, J et al. (2016) Concurrent PI3K and NF-?B activation drives B-cell lymphomagenesis. Leukemia 30:2267-2270
Ichiyama, Kenji; Gonzalez-Martin, Alicia; Kim, Byung-Seok et al. (2016) The MicroRNA-183-96-182 Cluster Promotes T Helper 17 Cell Pathogenicity by Negatively Regulating Transcription Factor Foxo1 Expression. Immunity 44:1284-98
Liu, Wen-Hsien; Kang, Seung Goo; Huang, Zhe et al. (2016) A miR-155-Peli1-c-Rel pathway controls the generation and function of T follicular helper cells. J Exp Med 213:1901-19
Jin, Hyun Yong; Xiao, Changchun (2015) MicroRNA Mechanisms of Action: What have We Learned from Mice? Front Genet 6:328
Lai, Maoyi; Xiao, Changchun (2015) Functional interactions among members of the miR-17-92 cluster in lymphocyte development, differentiation and malignant transformation. Int Immunopharmacol 28:854-8
Jin, Hyun Yong; Gonzalez-Martin, Alicia; Miletic, Ana V et al. (2015) Transfection of microRNA Mimics Should Be Used with Caution. Front Genet 6:340
Jin, Hyun Yong; Lai, Maoyi; Xiao, Changchun (2014) microRNA-17~92 is a powerful cancer driver and a therapeutic target. Cell Cycle 13:495-6

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