A network including PU.1, Vav1 and miR-142-3p sustains ATRA-induced differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells - a short report

Reduced expression of miR-142-3p has been found to be associated with the development of various subtypes of myeloid leukemia, including acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In APL-derived cells, miR-142-3p expression can be restored by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), which induces the completion of their maturation program. Here, we aimed to assess whether PU.1, essential for ATRA-induced gene transcription, regulates the expression of miR-142-3p in APL-derived cells and, based on the established cooperation between PU.1 and Vav1 in modulating gene expression, to evaluate the role of Vav1 in restoring the expression of miR-142-3p. ATRA-induced increases in PU.1 and Vav1 expression in APL-derived NB4 cells were counteracted with specific siRNAs, and the expression of miR-142-3p was measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The recruitment of PU.1 and/or Vav1 to the regulatory region of miR-142 was assessed by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (Q-ChIP). Synthetic inhibitors or mimics for miR-142-3p were used to assess whether this miRNA plays a role in regulating the expression of PU.1 and/or Vav1. We found that the expression of miR-142-3p in differentiating APL-derived NB4 cells is dependent on PU.1, and that Vav1 is essential for the recruitment of this transcription factor to its cis-binding element on the miR-142 promoter. In addition, we found that in ATRA-treated NB4 cells miR-142-3p sustains agonist-induced increases in both PU.1 and Vav1. Our results suggest the existence of a Vav1/PU.1/miR-142-3p network that supports ATRA-induced differentiation in APL-derived cells. Since selective regulation of miRNAs may play a role in the future treatment of hematopoietic malignancies, our results may provide a basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies to restore the expression of miR-142-3p.