MiR‐26 controls LXR‐dependent cholesterol efflux by targeting ABCA1 and ARL7

• DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.03.068
• Publication Date: 2012-04-18T07:52:31Z
• Authors: Dongsheng Sun; Jun Zhang; Jianhong Xie; Wei Wei; Mantao Chen; Xiang Zhao
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Transcription, Genetic; ABCA1; MiR-26; Cell Line; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; ARL7; Animals; Cholesterol efflux; 3' Untranslated Regions; DNA Primers; Liver X Receptors; Binding Sites; Base Sequence; ADP-Ribosylation Factors; Macrophages; MicroRNA; Biological Transport; Orphan Nuclear Receptors; 3. Good health; MicroRNAs; Cholesterol; LXR; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1

Cellular cholesterol levels are tightly regulated and represent a balance of cholesterol uptake, endogenous synthesis and efflux. Although the classic transcriptional regulations of cholesterol metabolism by liver X receptors (LXRs) have been well studied, the potential effects of LXR‐responsive microRNAs (miRNAs) still need to be unveiled. Here, we describe that miR‐26, an LXR‐suppressed miRNA, inhibits the expression of the ATP‐binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and ADP‐ribosylation factor‐like 7 (ARL7), two LXR target genes which play critical roles in cholesterol efflux. These findings have not only figured out an alternative mechanism for LXR regulation, but also provided a potential therapeutic target for cholesterol metabolic disorders.