MiR-371-373 cluster acts as a tumor-suppressor-miR and promotes cell cycle arrest in unrestricted somatic stem cells.
Recent advances in small RNA research have implicated microRNAs (miRNAs) as important regulators of proliferation and development. The miR-371-373 cluster is prominently expressed in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and rapidly decreases after cell differentiation. MiR-371-373 cluster was investigated as one of the key factors of stem cell maintenance and pluripotency in unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs) using a lentivirus system. Gene expression showed a dual effect on proliferation, which revealed a transient cell cycle progression and consequent repression in pluripotency factors and cell cycle genes. Cell proliferation analysis with CFU, MTT, and DNA content assays further confirmed the dual effect of cluster after prolonged exposure. Analyzing the course of action, it seems that miR-371-373 cluster acts as an onco/tumor suppressor-miR. MiR371-373 cluster acts by modulating the function of these factors and limiting the excessive cell cycle propagation upon oncogenic stimuli to protect cells from replicative stress, but also activate CDK inhibitors and transcriptional repressors of the retinoblastoma family to cause cell cycle arrest. In contrast to the previous studies, we believe that miR-371-373 cluster functions as a self-renewal miRNA to induce and maintain the pluripotent state but also to potentially inhibit dysregulated proliferation through cell cycle arrest. It seems that miR-371-373 cluster presents with a dual effect in this cellular context which may possess different actions in various cells. This not only expands the basic knowledge of the cluster but may offer a great chance for therapeutic interventions.
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. langroudi@gmail.com.
Lida
L
Langroudi
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. fjamshidiadegani@gmail.com.
Fatemeh
F
Jamshidi-Adegani
Department of Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. basshafiey@gmail.com.|Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia. basshafiey@gmail.com.
Abbas
A
Shafiee
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. a.hoseini.rad@gmail.com.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini
SM
Rad
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. farid.karamati@gmail.com.
Farid
F
Keramati
Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. azadmanesh@pasteur.ac.ir.
Kayhan
K
Azadmanesh
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. arefian@ut.ac.ir.|Department of Microbiology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. arefian@ut.ac.ir.
Ehsan
E
Arefian
Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-111, Tehran, Iran. soleim_m@modares.ac.ir.
Masoud
M
Soleimani
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C554834:MIRN371 microRNA, human; C561021:MIRN372 microRNA, human; C527114:MIRN373 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger
Cell cycle; ESCs-specific miRNA; MiR-371-373 cluster; USSCs