The down-regulation of miR-125b in chronic lymphocytic leukemias leads to metabolic adaptation of cells to a transformed state

Blood. 2012 Sep 27;120(13):2631-8. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-03-415737. Epub 2012 Jun 21.

Abstract

MiR-125b-1 maps at 11q24, a chromosomal region close to the epicenter of 11q23 deletions in chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLLs). Our results establish that both aggressive and indolent CLL patients show reduced expression of miR-125b. Overexpression of miR-125b in CLL-derived cell lines resulted in the repression of many transcripts encoding enzymes implicated in cell metabolism. Metabolomics analyses showed that miR-125b overexpression modulated glucose, glutathione, lipid, and glycerolipid metabolism. Changes on the same metabolic pathways also were observed in CLLs. We furthermore analyzed the expression of some of miR-125b-target transcripts that are potentially involved in the aforementioned metabolic pathways and defined a miR-125b-dependent CLL metabolism-related transcript signature. Thus, miR-125b acts as a master regulator for the adaptation of cell metabolism to a transformed state. MiR-125b and miR-125b-dependent metabolites therefore warrant further investigation as possible novel therapeutic approaches for patients with CLL.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / pathology
  • Metabolomics
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MIRN125 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Messenger