title: miR-27b inhibits fibroblast activation via targeting TGFβ signaling pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs are a group of small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. They regulate almost every aspect of cellular processes. In this study, we investigated whether miR-27b regulates pulmonary fibroblast activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that miR-27b was down-regulated in fibrotic lungs and fibroblasts from an experimental mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. The overexpression of miR-27b with a lentiviral vector inhibited TGFβ1-stimulated mRNA expression of collagens (COL1A1, COL3A1, and COL4A1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin, and protein expression of Col3A1 and alpha-smooth muscle actin in LL29 human pulmonary fibroblasts. miR-27b also reduced contractile activity of LL29. TGFβ receptor 1 and SMAD2 were identified as the targets of miR-27b by 3'-untranslated region luciferase reporter and western blotting assays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that miR-27b is an anti-fibrotic microRNA that inhibits fibroblast activation by targeting TGFβ receptor 1 and SMAD2. This discovery may provide new targets for therapeutic interventions of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangdong, China.|Lundberg-Kienlen Lung Biology and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Lundberg-Kienlen Lung Biology and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Stillwater, OK, USA.|Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Chaoqun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Lundberg-Kienlen Lung Biology and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Stillwater, OK, USA.|Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Lakmini
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Senavirathna
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Medical School of Jinan University, Guangdong, China. twangpc@jnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Lundberg-Kienlen Lung Biology and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Stillwater, OK, USA. lin.liu@okstate.edu.|Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA. lin.liu@okstate.edu.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001761:Bleomycin; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C540674:Mirn27 microRNA, mouse; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D001761:Bleomycin; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I
keywords: Fibroblast activation; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; TGFβ; miR-27b