MicroRNA-144-3p inhibits autophagy activation and enhances Bacillus Calmette-Guerin infection by targeting ATG4a in RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding nucleotides that play major roles in the response of host immune cells. Autophagy plays a key role in activating the antimicrobial host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Whether miRNAs specifically influence the activation of macrophage autophagy during M. tuberculosis infection is largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection of macrophages leads to increased expression of miR-144-3p, which targets autophagy-related gene 4a (ATG4a), to inhibit autophagy activation and antimicrobial responses to BCG. Overexpression of miR-144-3p significantly decreased both mRNA and protein levels of ATG4a, inhibited the formation of autophagosomes in RAW264.7 cells a

SUBMITTER: Guo L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5479589 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature