miR-181b negatively regulates activation-induced cytidine deaminase in B cells

J Exp Med. 2008 Sep 29;205(10):2199-206. doi: 10.1084/jem.20080579. Epub 2008 Sep 1.

Abstract

Activated B cells reshape their primary antibody repertoire after antigen encounter by two molecular mechanisms: somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR). SHM and CSR are initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) through the deamination of cytosine residues on the immunoglobulin loci, which leads to the generation of DNA mutations or double-strand break intermediates. As a bystander effect, endogenous AID levels can also promote the generation of chromosome translocations, suggesting that the fine tuning of AID expression may be critical to restrict B cell lymphomagenesis. To determine whether microRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the regulation of AID expression, we performed a functional screening of an miRNA library and identified miRNAs that regulate CSR. One such miRNA, miR-181b, impairs CSR when expressed in activated B cells, and results in the down-regulation of AID mRNA and protein levels. We found that the AID 3' untranslated region contains multiple putative binding sequences for miR-181b and that these sequences can be directly targeted by miR-181b. Overall, our results provide evidence for a new regulatory mechanism that restricts AID activity and can therefore be relevant to prevent B cell malignant transformation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes / enzymology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / physiology*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Cytidine Deaminase / genetics
  • Cytidine Deaminase / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Lymphocyte Activation*
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Microarray Analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Messenger
  • AICDA (activation-induced cytidine deaminase)
  • Cytidine Deaminase