Leishmania donovani restricts mitochondrial dynamics to enhance miRNP stability and target RNA repression in host macrophages.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs), the tiny regulatory RNAs, form complexes with Argonaute (Ago) proteins and inhibit gene expression in metazoan cells. While studying parasite-invaded macrophages, we identify a unique mode of gene regulation in which the parasite Leishmania donovani (Ld) causes mitochondrial depolarization, reduces mitochondrial dynamics, and restricts turnover of cellular microRNA ribonucleoprotein (miRNP) complexes in infected host cells. This leads to increased stability of miRNPs along with elevated levels of Ago2-bound cytokine mRNA in Ld-infected macrophages. Thus the increase of miRNP stability in Ld-infected cells curtails production of proinflammatory cytokines, which are otherwise detrimental for survival of the parasite within the infected macropha

SUBMITTER: Chakrabarty Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5509422 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature