Small molecule inhibitor of myogenic microRNAs leads to a discovery of miR-221/222-myoD-myomiRs regulatory pathway

Chem Biol. 2014 Oct 23;21(10):1265-1270. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2014.06.011. Epub 2014 Sep 18.

Abstract

Myogenic microRNAs (myomiRs) that are specifically expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle are highly relevant to myogenic development and diseases. Discovery and elucidation of unknown myomiRs-involved regulatory pathways in muscle cells are important, but challenging due to the lack of proper molecular tools. We report here a miR-221/222-myoD-myomiRs regulatory pathway revealed by using a small-molecule probe that selectively inhibits myomiRs including miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206. The small-molecule inhibitor screened from luciferase assay systems was found to inhibit myomiRs and differentiation of C2C12 cells. Using the small molecule as a probe, we found that the transcriptional factor myoD, which is upstream of myomiRs, was further regulated by miR-221/222. This miR-221/222-myoD-myomiRs regulatory pathway was confirmed by over-expressing or knockdown miR-221/222 in muscle cells, which respectively led to the inhibition or enhancement of myoD protein expression and subsequent downregulation or upregulation of myomiR expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / antagonists & inhibitors
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / cytology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • MyoD Protein / chemistry
  • MyoD Protein / metabolism*
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Oligoribonucleotides, Antisense / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / chemistry
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / metabolism
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology
  • Transfection

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • MIRN221 microRNA, human
  • MIRN222 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • MyoD Protein
  • Oligoribonucleotides, Antisense
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Small Molecule Libraries