miR-346 controls release of TNF-α protein and stability of its mRNA in rheumatoid arthritis via tristetraprolin stabilization

PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e19827. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019827. Epub 2011 May 17.

Abstract

TNF-α is a major cytokine implicated in rheumatoid arthritis. Its expression is regulated both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels and recent data demonstrated that miRNAs are implicated in TNF-α response in macrophages. LPS-activated FLS isolated from RA patients express TNF-α mRNA but not the mature protein. This prompted us to look for miRNAs which could be implicated in this anti-inflammatory effect. Using a microarray, we found two miRNAs, miR-125b and miR-939 predicted to target the 3'-UTR of TNF-α mRNA, to be up-regulated in RA FLS in response to LPS, but their repression did not restore mature TNF-α expression in FLS. We showed previously that miR-346, which is upregulated in LPS-activated FLS, inhibited Btk expression that stabilized TNF-α mRNA. Blocking miR-346 reestablished TNF-α expression in activated FLS. Interestingly, transfection of miR-346 in LPS-activated THP-1 cells inhibited TNF-α secretion. We also demonstrated that TTP, a RNA binding protein which inhibited TNF-α synthesis, is overexpressed in activated FLS and that inhibition of miR-346 decreases its expression. Conversely, transfection of miR-346 in LPS-activated THP-1 cells increased TTP mRNA expression and inhibited TNF-α release. These results indicate that miR-346 controls TNF-α synthesis by regulating TTP expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / genetics*
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Models, Biological
  • Protein Stability / drug effects
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • RNA Stability* / drug effects
  • RNA, Antisense / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Synovial Fluid / cytology
  • Transfection
  • Tristetraprolin / metabolism*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism*

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • MIRN125 microRNA, human
  • MIRN346 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Antisense
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Tristetraprolin
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • BTK protein, human