miR-155 targets histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) and impairs transcriptional activity of B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) in the Eμ-miR-155 transgenic mouse model

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Dec 4;109(49):20047-52. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1213764109. Epub 2012 Nov 19.

Abstract

Multiple studies have established that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. Notably, miR-155 is one of the most overexpressed miRNAs in several solid and hematological malignancies. Ectopic miR-155 expression in mice B cells (Eμ-miR-155 transgenic mice) has been shown to induce pre-B-cell proliferation followed by high-grade lymphoma/leukemia. Loss of miR-155 in mice resulted in impaired immunity due to defective T-cell-mediated immune response. Here we provide a mechanistic insight into miR-155-induced leukemogenesis in the Eμ-miR-155 mouse model through genome-wide transcriptome analysis of naïve B cells and target studies. We found that a key transcriptional repressor and proto-oncogene, Bcl6 is significantly down-regulated in Eμ-miR-155 mice. The reduction of Bcl6 subsequently leads to de-repression of some of the known Bcl6 targets like inhibitor of differentiation (Id2), interleukin-6 (IL6), cMyc, Cyclin D1, and Mip1α/ccl3, all of which promote cell survival and proliferation. We show that Bcl6 is indirectly regulated by miR-155 through Mxd1/Mad1 up-regulation. Interestingly, we found that miR-155 directly targets HDAC4, a corepressor partner of BCL6. Furthermore, ectopic expression of HDAC4 in human-activated B-cell-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells results in reduced miR-155-induced proliferation, clonogenic potential, and increased apoptosis. Meta-analysis of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patient microarray data showed that miR-155 expression is inversely correlated with Bcl6 and Hdac4. Hence this study provides a better understanding of how miR-155 causes disruption of the BCL6 transcriptional machinery that leads to up-regulation of the survival and proliferation genes in miR-155-induced leukemias.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cyclin D1 / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / immunology*
  • Histone Deacetylases / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Inhibitor of Differentiation Protein 2 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Lymphoid / etiology*
  • Leukemia, Lymphoid / immunology
  • Leukemia, Lymphoid / metabolism
  • Luciferases
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / pharmacology*
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6 / metabolism*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects*

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Ccnd1 protein, mouse
  • Idb2 protein, mouse
  • Inhibitor of Differentiation Protein 2
  • Interleukin-6
  • MAS1 protein, human
  • Mad protein, mouse
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn155 microRNA, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Cyclin D1
  • Luciferases
  • Hdac5 protein, mouse
  • Histone Deacetylases

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE30248