Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the post-mortem deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) containing neuritic plaques and tau-loaded tangles. According to the amyloid hypothesis, the generation of Aβ via the cleavage of Aβ precursor protein (APP) by β-APP site-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is a causative step in the development of AD. Therefore, targeting the production and/or clearance of Aβ peptide (by Aβ-degrading enzymes such as Neprilysin) would help understand the disorder as well as serves as therapeutic potential to treat the disorder. MicroRNA are small, noncoding RNA capable of modulating protein expression by primarily targeting their 3’UTR. Therefore, identifying miRNA which target APP, BACE1 and Neprilysin (NEP) would elucidate the complicated regulatory mechanisms involved in protein turnover and provide novel drug targets. We identified miR-20b as a modulator of APP and soluble Aβ. We also identified the target site for miR-20b’s binding on the APP 3’UTR. Further, miR-20b exerts influence on neuronal morphology, likely due to its APP reduction. We also identified miR-298 as a dual regulator of APP and BACE1 and confirmed miR-298’s targeting of both 3’UTRs. We also showed that miR-298 overexpression reduced levels of both soluble Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides. Additionally, we identified two SNPs in proximity to the MIR298 gene, which are associated with AD-related biomarkers. Based on these results, we showed miR-298 targets a specific isoform of tau by putatively binding a non-canonical target site on the MAPT 3’UTR. Finally, the insertion of the NEP 3’UTR into a reporter vector increases reporter expression; suggesting regulatory elements targeting the 3’UTR. We subsequently identified miR-216 as reducing NEP 3’UTR-mediated luciferase activity. We also measured levels of NEP protein in various mammalian tissue – such as rodent and human fetal tissue, and subsequently showed measurable Aβ levels in correlation with NEP expression. Therefore, herein, we have identified miRNA involved in the regulation of proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of AD.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Developmental changes in the liver significantly impact drug disposition. Due to the emergence of microRNAs as important regulators of drug disposition, we hypothesize that age-dependent change in microRNA expression and genetic variants in microRNA target sites contribute to variability in drug disposition. In human liver tissues, expression of 533 microRNAs and over 14,000 genes were measured. In all, 114 microRNAs were upregulated and 72 downregulated from fetal to pediatric, and 2 and 3, respectively, from pediatric to adult. Among these microRNAs, 99 microRNA-mRNA interactions were predicted or have previously been validated to target drug disposition genes and over 1,000 significant negative correlations were observed between miRNA-mRNA pairs. We validated these interactions using various cell culture models. Genetic variants in the promoter and coding regions of drug disposition genes have also been shown to alter enzyme expression and/or activity. However, these variants do not account for all variability in enzyme activity. Emerging evidence has shown that variants in the 3’UTR may explain variable drug response by altering microRNA regulation. Five 3’UTR variants were associated with significantly altered CYP2B6 activity in healthy human volunteers. The rs70950385 (AG>CA) variant was associated with decreased CYP2B6 activity among normal metabolizers. In vitro luciferase assays confirmed that the CA allele altered miR 1275 targeting of CYP2B6 mRNA. Due to the large number of 3’UTR variants predicted to alter microRNA regulation, a high-throughput method, PASSPORT-seq, was developed to test over 100 3’UTR variants simultaneously in different cell lines. Thirty-eight variants resulted in FDR-significant altered expression between wild-type and variant sequences. Our data suggest a mechanism for the marked changes in hepatic gene expression between the fetal and pediatric developmental periods, support a role for these age dependent microRNAs in regulating drug disposition, and provide strong evidence that 3’UTR variants are also an important source of variability in drug disposition.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Old age is associated with increased bone fragility and risk of fracture as a result of skeletal alterations, including low bone density and cortical thinning. Further, apoptotic osteocytes accumulate in old mice and humans. We have previously shown that mice lacking osteocytic connexin (Cx) 43 (Cx43ΔOt) exhibit a phenotype similar to that of the aging skeleton, with elevated osteocyte apoptosis and an associated increase in osteoclastogenesis. These findings suggest that osteocyte apoptosis results in the release of factors that recruit osteoclasts to bone surfaces close to areas that contain apoptotic osteocytes. However, the specific chemotactic signals, the events mediating their release, and the mechanisms of their action remain unknown. Consistent with this notion, we also found that HMGB1 released by Cx43-deficient (Cx43def) MLO-Y4 osteocytic cells enhances osteoclastogenesis in part by increasing osteocytic RANKL, which promotes osteoclastogenesis, and, at the same time, directly stimulating osteoclastogenesis. Further, expression of the pro-survival microRNA (miR), miR21, is low in Cx43def cells and bones from old female mice, and low miR21 levels increase osteocyte apoptosis. However, surprisingly, mice lacking miR21 (miR21ΔOt) have decreased osteoclast number and activity even under conditions of elevated osteocyte apoptosis; suggesting that osteocytic miR21 may mediate osteoclast precursor recruitment/survival induced by apoptotic osteocytes. However, whether HMGB1/miR21 are released by osteocytes, and if the HMGB1 receptors, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and/or tolllike receptor (TLR4) are involved in osteoclast recruitment in Cx43ΔOt and old mice is unknown. The overall objectives of this series of studies were to elucidate the mechanisms

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第19600号 / 医博第4107号 / 新制||医||1014(附属図書館) / 32636 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 萩原 正敏, 教授 清水 章, 教授 川上 浩司, 教授 瀬原 淳子 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第20797号 / 医博第4297号 / 新制||医||1025(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 湊谷 謙司, 教授 齊藤 博英, 教授 Shohab YOUSSEFIAN / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第20969号 / 医博第4315号 / 新制||医||1026(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 戸口田 淳也, 教授 濵﨑 洋子, 教授 三森 経世 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(情報学) / 甲第21393号 / 情博第679号 / 新制||情||117(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院情報学研究科知能情報学専攻 / (主査)教授 阿久津 達也, 教授 山本 章博, 教授 鹿島 久嗣 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Informatics / Kyoto University / DFAM

MicroRNA-221 (miR-221) führt in Prostatakarzinomzellen zu einer Induktion einer TRAIL-supprotiven Signatur als Folge einer Interferonaktivierung mit Heraufregulation von STAT-1 und den TRAIL-relevanten, interferonsensitiven Genen TNFSF-10 und XAF-1. Ferner führt die Inhibierung des bekannten Zielgenes SOCS-3 sowie die Inhibierung des neu beschriebenen Zielgenens PIK3R1 zu einer TRAIL-Sensitivierung in den untersuchten Prostatakarzinomzellen. / MicroRNA-221 (miR-221) mediates TRAIL-sensitivation of prostate cancer cells via inducing an TRAIL-supportive signature. This was shown by upregulation of STAT-1 and the TRAIL inducing the interferone sensitive genes XAF-1 and TNFSF-10. Furthermore the inhibition of two miR-221 targets mediates TRAIL sensitivation. The inhibition of the known target SOCS-3 and the new target PIK3R1 both led to TRAIL sensitivation of prostate cancer cells.

No description available.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an oncogenic virus that ubiquitously establishes life-long persistence in humans, encodes viral miRNAs in two clusters, BHRF1 and BART. EBV also regulates expression of a large pool of cellular miRNAs, including miR-155, miR-146a, miR-21, miR-29, and miR-34a. These miRNAs targets both viral and cellular genes involved in the entire viral lifetime from lytic infection to oncogenesis, including viral replication, immune responses, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and cell proliferation, and are indispensable for persistent infection, latency establishment and maintenance, and cancer development. Among them, circulating miRNAs and unique miRNA profiles are promising diagnosis and prognosis biomarkers alone or with other traditional biomarkers. Elucidation of the precise mechanisms of action of these miRNAs in EBV latent infection will improve our knowlege of EBV persistence and oncogenesis, and may foster new strategies to target these miRNAs for treatments of EBV-associated cancers.