Altered lymphopoiesis and immunodeficiency in miR-142 null mice.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of powerful posttranscriptional regulators implicated in the control of diverse biological processes, including regulation of hematopoiesis and the immune response. To define the biological functions of miR-142, which is preferentially and abundantly expressed in immune cells, we created a mouse line with a targeted deletion of this gene. Our analysis of miR-142(-/-) mice revealed a critical role for this miRNA in the development and homeostasis of lymphocytes. Marginal zone B cells expand in the knockout spleen, whereas the number of T and B1 B cells in the periphery is reduced. Abnormal development of hematopoietic lineages in miR-142(-/-) animals is accompanied by a profound immunodeficiency, manifested by hypoimmunoglobulinemia and failure to mount a productive immune response to soluble antigens and virus. miR-142(-/-) B cells express elevated levels of B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) receptor (BAFF-R) and as a result proliferate more robustly in response to BAFF stimulation. Lowering the BAFF-R gene dose in miR-142(-/-) mice rescues the B-cell expansion defect, suggesting that BAFF-R is a bona fide miR-142 target through which it controls B-cell homeostasis. Collectively, our results uncover miR-142 as an essential regulator of lymphopoiesis, and suggest that lesions in this miRNA gene may lead to primary immunodeficiency.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Kramer, NJ; Wang, W-L; Reyes, EY; Kumar, B; Chen, C-C; Ramakrishna, C; Cantin, EM; Vonderfecht, SL; Taganov, KD; Chau, N; Boldin, MP
Published Date
- June 2015
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 125 / 24
Start / End Page
- 3720 - 3730
PubMed ID
- 25931583
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1528-0020
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0006-4971
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1182/blood-2014-10-603951
Language
- eng