biostudies-literatureOkuyama KNEI NIH HHSTelethonNIDDK NIH HHSNCI NIH HHS13410-5https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3746909biostudies-literatureUnknown110(33)Lineage specification is thought to be largely regulated at the level of transcription, where lineage-specific transcription factors drive specific cell fates. MicroRNAs (miR), vital to many cell functions, act posttranscriptionally to decrease the expression of target mRNAs. MLL-AF4 acute lymphocytic leukemia exhibits both myeloid and B-cell surface markers, suggesting that the transformed cells are B-cell myeloid progenitor cells. Through gain- and loss-of-function experiments, we demonstrated that microRNA 126 (miR-126) drives B-cell myeloid biphenotypic leukemia differentiation toward B cells without changing expression of E2A immunoglobulin enhancer-binding factor E12/E47 (E2A), early B-cell factor 1 (EBF1), or paired box protein 5, which are critical transcription factors in B-lymphopoiesis. Similar induction of B-cell differentiation by miR-126 was observed in normal hematopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo in uncommitted murine c-Kit(+)Sca1(+)Lineage(-) cells, with insulin regulatory subunit-1 acting as a target of miR-126. Importantly, in EBF1-deficient hematopoietic progenitor cells, which fail to differentiate into B cells, miR-126 significantly up-regulated B220, and induced the expression of B-cell genes, including recombination activating genes-1/2 and CD79a/b. These data suggest that miR-126 can at least partly rescue B-cell development independently of EBF1. These experiments show that miR-126 regulates myeloid vs. B-cell fate through an alternative machinery, establishing the critical role of miRNAs in the lineage specification of multipotent mammalian cells.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaMicroRNA-126-mediated control of cell fate in B-cell myeloid progenitors as a potential alternative to transcriptional factors.PMC3746909R01 EY021862P30 CA014051R01 DK068348TGT11S01Harnprasopwat RTojo AKotani AChanda BKawamoto HYokoyama KAndo KHozumi KKawamata TLodish HFIkawa TWang SGentner BLu JToyoshima TOkuyama KYamashita RHa DfalseMicroRNA-126-mediated control of cell fate in B-cell myeloid progenitors as a potential alternative to transcriptional factors.Lineage specification is thought to be largely regulated at the level of transcription, where lineage-specific transcription factors drive specific cell fates. MicroRNAs (miR), vital to many cell functions, act posttranscriptionally to decrease the expression of target mRNAs. MLL-AF4 acute lymphocytic leukemia exhibits both myeloid and B-cell surface markers, suggesting that the transformed cells are B-cell myeloid progenitor cells. Through gain- and loss-of-function experiments, we demonstrated that microRNA 126 (miR-126) drives B-cell myeloid biphenotypic leukemia differentiation toward B cells without changing expression of E2A immunoglobulin enhancer-binding factor E12/E47 (E2A), early B-cell factor 1 (EBF1), or paired box protein 5, which are critical transcription factors in B-lymphopoiesis. Similar induction of B-cell differentiation by miR-126 was observed in normal hematopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo in uncommitted murine c-Kit(+)Sca1(+)Lineage(-) cells, with insulin regulatory subunit-1 acting as a target of miR-126. Importantly, in EBF1-deficient hematopoietic progenitor cells, which fail to differentiate into B cells, miR-126 significantly up-regulated B220, and induced the expression of B-cell genes, including recombination activating genes-1/2 and CD79a/b. These data suggest that miR-126 can at least partly rescue B-cell development independently of EBF1. These experiments show that miR-126 regulates myeloid vs. B-cell fate through an alternative machinery, establishing the critical role of miRNAs in the lineage specification of multipotent mammalian cells.2013-01-01T00:00:00Z2013 Aug2026-05-03T21:23:06.198Z2026-04-07T19:42:04.085ZS-EPMC37469092389330010.1073/pnas.1220710110