title: MiR-23b controls TGF-β1 induced airway smooth muscle cell proliferation via TGFβR2/p-Smad3 signals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abnormal proliferation of ASM (airway smooth muscle) directly contributes to the airway remodeling during development of lung diseases such as asthma. Here we report that a specific microRNA (miR-23b) controls ASMCs proliferation through directly inhibiting TGFβR2/p-Smad3 pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of miR-23b in ASMCs was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The effects of miR-23b on cell proliferation and apoptosis of ASMCs were assessed by transient transfection of miR-23b mimics and inhibitor. The target gene of miR-23b and the downstream pathway were further investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overexpression of miR-23b significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced ASMCs proliferation and promoted apoptosis. RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis showed miR-23b negatively regulates the expression of TGFβR2 and p-Smad3 in ASMCs. Subsequent analyses demonstrated that TGFβR2 was a direct and functional target of miR-23b, which was validated by the dual luciferase reporter assay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiR-23b may function as an inhibitor of airway smooth muscle cells proliferation through inactivation of TGFβR2/p-Smad3 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Linjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geratology, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518000, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Jianting
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China.
authors.forename: Ruiyun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510120, China. Electronic address: shanpingjiang@126.com.
authors.forename: Shanping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051900:Smad3 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C534062:Mirn23b microRNA, mouse; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051900:Smad3 Protein; C497791:Smad3 protein, mouse; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II
keywords: Airway smooth muscle cells; TGFβR2/p-Smad3; miR-23b