miR-24 regulates intrinsic apoptosis pathway in mouse cardiomyocytes

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 15;9(1):e85389. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085389. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Numerous cardiac diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic heart failure, have been associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Promoting cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis is one of the effective strategies to attenuate cardiac dysfunction caused by cardiomyocyte loss. miR-24 has been shown as an anti-apoptotic microRNA in various animal models. In vivo delivery of miR-24 into a mouse MI model suppressed cardiac cell death, attenuated infarct size, and rescued cardiac dysfunction. However, the molecular pathway by which miR-24 inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis is not known. Here we found that miR-24 negatively regulates mouse primary cadiomyocyte cell death through functioning in the intrinsic apoptotic pathways. In ER-mediated intrinsic pathway, miR-24 genetically interacts with the CEBP homologous gene CHOP as knocking down of CHOP partially attenuated the induced apoptosis by miR-24 inhibition. In mitochondria-involved intrinsic pathway, miR-24 inhibits the initiation of apoptosis through suppression of Cytochrome C release and Bax translocation from cytosol to mitochondria. These results provide mechanistic insights into the miR-24 mediated anti-apoptotic effects in murine cardiomyocytes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Myocardial Infarction / pathology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Protein Transport
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transcription Factor CHOP / metabolism
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Bax protein, mouse
  • DNA Primers
  • Ddit3 protein, mouse
  • MIRN24 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • Transcription Factor CHOP

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the start-up funds to the Qian Lab from UNC-Chapel Hill. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.