A Runx2/miR-3960/miR-2861 regulatory feedback loop during mouse osteoblast differentiation

J Biol Chem. 2011 Apr 8;286(14):12328-39. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.176099. Epub 2011 Feb 15.

Abstract

Our recent study showed that miR-2861 promotes osteoblast differentiation by targeting histone deacetylase 5, resulting in increased runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) protein production. Here we identified another new microRNA (miRNA) (miR-3960) that played a regulatory role in osteoblast differentiation through a regulatory feedback loop with miR-2861. miR-3960 and miR-2861 were found clustered at the same loci. miR-3960 was transcribed during bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2)-induced osteogenesis of ST2 stromal cells. Overexpression of miR-3960 promoted BMP2-induced osteoblastogenesis. However, the inhibition of miR-3960 expression attenuated the osteoblastogenesis. Homeobox A2 (Hoxa2), a repressor of Runx2 expression, was confirmed to be a target of miR-3960. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that Runx2 bound to the promoter of the miR-3960/miR-2861 cluster. Furthermore, overexpression of Runx2 induced miR-3960/miR-2861 transcription, and block of Runx2 expression attenuated BMP2-induced miR-3960/miR-2861 transcription. Here we report that miR-3960 and miR-2861, transcribed together from the same miRNA polycistron, both function in osteoblast differentiation through a novel Runx2/miR-3960/miR-2861 regulatory feedback loop. Our findings provide new insights into the roles of miRNAs in osteoblast differentiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Computational Biology
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / genetics
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / metabolism*
  • Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Osteoblasts / cytology*
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Hoxa2 protein, mouse
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Small Interfering