Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in various biological processes through regulation of gene expression post-transcriptionally. Although miRNAs are involved in cell proliferation and differentiation in mammals, few reports regarding the effects of host miRNAs on macrophage activation and differentiation are available in birds. Here, we reported that gga-miR-200b-3p acts as a positive regulator, enhancing macrophage activation and differentiation using an avian model. We found that ectopic expression of gga-miR-200b-3p in HD11 cells enhances the amount of MHC-II-positive cells and promotes the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and that gga-miR-200b-3p directly targets monocyte to macrophage differentiation-associated (MMD). The inhibition of MMD by gga-miR-200b-3p enhances the activation and differentiation of HD11 cells and increases the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these findings highlight a crucial role of gga-miR-200b-3p in macrophage activation and differentiation in birds.
Highlights
MicroRNAs are a family of evolutionarily conserved noncoding RNAs, ranging from 18 to 24 nt in length
We found that gga-miR-200b-3p effectively enhances macrophage activation and differentiation via targeting the monocyte to macrophage differentiation-associated (MMD)
Because the expression of MHC-II in the cytoplasm is a typical characteristic during the macrophage activation, we proposed that gga-miR-200b-3p might enhance the expression of MHC-II
Summary
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of evolutionarily conserved noncoding RNAs, ranging from 18 to 24 nt in length. MiRNAs can be found as isolated transcript units or clustered and co-transcribed as polycistronic primary transcripts [1], regulating the expression of target genes post-transcriptionally through degradation of mRNAs or inhibition of translation by binding to complementary sites in the 3′UTRs of mRNAs [2,3,4]. MiRNAs usually serve as guide RNAs to target mRNAs bearing complementary sequences, which is essential for the specificity of miRNA-target mRNA interaction miR-200b-3p Promotes Macrophage Activation [5]. The specificity of miRNA-target mRNA interaction is involved in the presence and cooperation between multiple target sites (TSs), the spacing between TSs, position within the mRNA, proximity to the stop codon, and the target mRNA secondary structures [6, 7]. MiRNAs are playing a wide variety of roles in cancer development and differentiation [8], cell proliferation and differentiation [9], cell cycle and apoptosis [10], immunoregulation, and viral infection [11, 12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call