The Role of MicroRNAs in Regulatory T Cells.

Nannan Li,Guijian Liu,Chao Liu

doi:10.1155/2020/3232061

Abstract

MicroRNAs are a class of conserved, 20 nt-23 nt long, noncoding small RNAs that inhibit expression of their respective target genes in different cell types. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subpopulation of T cells that negatively regulate immune responses, which is essential to immune homeostasis. Recent studies have indicated that microRNAs play an important role in the proliferation, differentiation, and functions of Treg. Here, we review the recent progress in understanding the roles of microRNAs in Treg and their dysregulation in immune-related diseases. This ongoing research continues to expand the understanding of Treg regulation and the mechanisms of immune disorders.

Highlights

MicroRNAs are noncoding, single-stranded, small RNAs with a length of 20-23 nucleotides and were first discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans in 1993 [1]
Nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) is a direct target of micro568 and transfection with siRNA-NFAT5 inhibits the activation and differentiation of Tregs [52]. These results indicate that micro568 inhibits activation, differentiation, and function of Tregs by targeting NFAT5
Kaul et al transfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with micro2909, which led to an evident increase of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs among the CD4+ T population [73]

Summary

Introduction

MicroRNAs are noncoding, single-stranded, small RNAs with a length of 20-23 nucleotides and were first discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans in 1993 [1]. After their discovery, microRNAs gained extensive attention due to their role in regulating gene expression. There has been evidence demonstrating that microRNAs are involved in many cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis [4, 5] As such, their dysregulation could lead to many diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes [6,7,8]. Mediated regulation in Treg and the role of its dysregulation in disease development

MicroRNA Biogenesis

MicroRNA Profile of Tregs

Micro31

The Regulatory Role of MicroRNAs in Tregs

Findings

Conclusion