MicroRNA-33 and the SREBP host genes cooperate to control cholesterol homeostasis

SH Najafi-Shoushtari, F Kristo, Y Li, T Shioda… - Science, 2010 - science.org
SH Najafi-Shoushtari, F Kristo, Y Li, T Shioda, DE Cohen, RE Gerszten, AM Näär
Science, 2010science.org
Proper coordination of cholesterol biosynthesis and trafficking is essential to human health.
The sterol regulatory element–binding proteins (SREBPs) are key transcription regulators of
genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake. We show here that microRNAs (miR-
33a/b) embedded within introns of the SREBP genes target the adenosine triphosphate–
binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), an important regulator of high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) synthesis and reverse cholesterol transport, for posttranscriptional repression …
Proper coordination of cholesterol biosynthesis and trafficking is essential to human health. The sterol regulatory element–binding proteins (SREBPs) are key transcription regulators of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake. We show here that microRNAs (miR-33a/b) embedded within introns of the SREBP genes target the adenosine triphosphate–binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), an important regulator of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) synthesis and reverse cholesterol transport, for posttranscriptional repression. Antisense inhibition of miR-33 in mouse and human cell lines causes up-regulation of ABCA1 expression and increased cholesterol efflux, and injection of mice on a western-type diet with locked nucleic acid–antisense oligonucleotides results in elevated plasma HDL. Our findings indicate that miR-33 acts in concert with the SREBP host genes to control cholesterol homeostasis and suggest that miR-33 may represent a therapeutic target for ameliorating cardiometabolic diseases.
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