NF-kappaB p65-Dependent Transactivation of miRNA Genes following Cryptosporidium parvum Infection Stimulates Epithelial Cell Immune Responses

PLoS Pathogens

Ai-Yu Gong¹  Kristen M. Drescher¹  Xian-Ming Chen¹  Jun Liu¹  Rui Zhou¹  Guoku Hu¹ 

[1] Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America

关键词: MicroRNAs;    Cryptosporidium parvum;    Transcription factors;    Cell binding;    Parasitic diseases;    Binding analysis;    Epithelial cells;    Polymerase chain reaction;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.ppat.1000681

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and causes diarrheal disease worldwide. Innate epithelial immune responses are key mediators of the host's defense to C. parvum. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and are involved in regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Using an in vitro model of human cryptosporidiosis, we analyzed C. parvum-induced miRNA expression in biliary epithelial cells (i.e., cholangiocytes). Our results demonstrated differential alterations in the mature miRNA expression profile in cholangiocytes following C. parvum infection or lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Database analysis of C. parvum-upregulated miRNAs revealed potential NF-κB binding sites in the promoter elements of a subset of miRNA genes. We demonstrated that mir-125b-1, mir-21, mir-30b, and mir-23b-27b-24-1 cluster genes were transactivated through promoter binding of the NF-κB p65 subunit following C. parvum infection. In contrast, C. parvum transactivated mir-30c and mir-16 genes in cholangiocytes in a p65-independent manner. Importantly, functional inhibition of selected p65-dependent miRNAs in cholangiocytes increased C. parvum burden. Thus, we have identified a panel of miRNAs regulated through promoter binding of the NF-κB p65 subunit in human cholangiocytes in response to C. parvum infection, a process that may be relevant to the regulation of epithelial anti-microbial defense in general.

【 授权许可】

CC BY