title: Emerging role of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator as an epigenetic regulator: linking environmental cues to microRNAs.
abstract: Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as one of the important epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression in response to changes in the environment, the links between environmental cues and changes in miRNAs remain largely unknown. Localized to the cell membrane and recognized as an anion channel, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has recently been shown to mediate important signalling pathways leading to activation of miRNAs. This brief review summarizes the related findings and discusses the emerging role of CFTR as an epigenetic regulator, possibly involved in a wide spectrum of physiological and pathological processes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Epithelial Cell Biology Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education of China, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Hsiao Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ye Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ruan
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004777:Environment; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
keywords: cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator; epigenetic regulation; microRNAs