Abstract
Fibrosis is a common pathological state characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, but the pathogenesis of the disease is still not clear. Previous studies have shown that microRNA-29 (miR-29) can play pivotal roles in the regulation of a variety of organ fibrosis, including cardiac fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, lung fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, and keloid. In this review, we outline the structure, expression, and regulation of miR-29 as well as its role in fibrotic diseases.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Coelho NM, McCulloch CA. Contribution of collagen adhesion receptors to tissue fibrosis. Cell Tissue Res. 2016;365(3):521–38.
Wynn TA, Ramalingam TR. Mechanisms of fibrosis: therapeutic translation for fibrotic disease. Nat Med. 2012;18(7):1028–40.
Le AD, Zhang Q, Wu Y, Messadi DV, Akhondzadeh A, Nguyen AL, et al. Elevated vascular endothelial growth factor in keloids: relevance to tissue fibrosis. Cells Tissues Organs. 2004;176(1–3):87–94.
Meng XM, Nikolic-Paterson DJ, Lan HY. TGF-beta: the master regulator of fibrosis. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2016;12(6):325–38.
Bowen T, Jenkins RH, Fraser DJ. MicroRNAs, transforming growth factor beta-1, and tissue fibrosis. J Pathol. 2013;229(2):274–85.
Ha M, Kim VN. Regulation of microRNA biogenesis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2014;15(8):509–24.
Lytle JR, Yario TA, Steitz JA. Target mRNAs are repressed as efficiently by microRNA-binding sites in the 5′ UTR as in the 3′ UTR. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007;104(23):9667–72.
Krol J, Loedige I, Filipowicz W. The widespread regulation of microRNA biogenesis, function and decay. Nat Rev Genet. 2010;11(9):597–610.
Winter J, Jung S, Keller S, Gregory RI, Diederichs S. Many roads to maturity: microRNA biogenesis pathways and their regulation. Nat Cell Biol. 2009;11(3):228–34.
Siomi H, Siomi MC. Posttranscriptional regulation of microRNA biogenesis in animals. Mol Cell. 2010;38(3):323–32.
Dong H, Lei J, Ding L, Wen Y, Ju H, Zhang X. MicroRNA: function, detection, and bioanalysis. Chem Revi. 2013;113(8):6207–33.
O’Reilly S. MicroRNAs in fibrosis: opportunities and challenges. Arthritis Res Ther. 2016;18:11.
Bian EB, Li J, Zhao B. miR-29, a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis. Gene. 2014;544(2):259–60.
Wang B, Komers R, Carew R, Winbanks CE, Xu B, Herman-Edelstein M, et al. Suppression of microRNA-29 expression by TGF-beta1 promotes collagen expression and renal fibrosis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012;23(2):252–65.
He Y, Huang C, Lin X, Li J. MicroRNA-29 family, a crucial therapeutic target for fibrosis diseases. Biochimie. 2013;95(7):1355–9.
Peng WJ, Tao JH, Mei B, Chen B, Li BZ, Yang GJ, et al. MicroRNA-29: a potential therapeutic target for systemic sclerosis. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2012;16(9):875–9.
Condorelli G. Reply: MicroRNA-29, a mysterious regulator in myocardial fibrosis and circulating miR-29a as a biomarker. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;64(20):2181–2.
Zhang GY, Wu LC, Liao T, Chen GC, Chen YH, Zhao YX, et al. A novel regulatory function for miR-29a in keloid fibrogenesis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2016;41(4):341–5.
Chung AC, Lan HY. MicroRNAs in renal fibrosis. Front Physiol. 2015;6:50.
van Rooij E, Sutherland LB, Thatcher JE, DiMaio JM, Naseem RH, Marshall WS, et al. Dysregulation of microRNAs after myocardial infarction reveals a role of miR-29 in cardiac fibrosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008;105(35):13027–32.
Kamran F, Andrade AC, Nella AA, Clokie SJ, Rezvani G, Nilsson O, et al. Evidence that up-regulation of microRNA-29 contributes to postnatal body growth deceleration. Mol Endocrinol. 2015;29(6):921–32.
Cushing L, Kuang PP, Qian J, Shao F, Wu J, Little F, et al. miR-29 is a major regulator of genes associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2011;45(2):287–94.
Hysolli E, Tanaka Y, Su J, Kim KY, Zhong T, Janknecht R, et al. Regulation of the DNA methylation landscape in human somatic cell reprogramming by the miR-29 Family. Stem Cell Rep. 2016;7(1):43–54.
Cui Y, Li T, Yang D, Li S, Le W. miR-29 regulates Tet1 expression and contributes to early differentiation of mouse ESCs. Oncotarget. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.10751.
Roderburg C, Urban GW, Bettermann K, Vucur M, Zimmermann H, Schmidt S, et al. Micro-RNA profiling reveals a role for miR-29 in human and murine liver fibrosis. Hepatology. 2011;53(1):209–18.
Feldman AL, Dogan A, Smith DI, Law ME, Ansell SM, Johnson SH, et al. Discovery of recurrent t(6;7)(p25.3;q32.3) translocations in ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphomas by massively parallel genomic sequencing. Blood. 2011;117(3):915–9.
Wang H, Garzon R, Sun H, Ladner KJ, Singh R, Dahlman J, et al. NF-kappaB-YY1-miR-29 regulatory circuitry in skeletal myogenesis and rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer Cell. 2008;14(5):369–81.
Chang TC, Yu D, Lee YS, Wentzel EA, Arking DE, West KM, et al. Widespread microRNA repression by Myc contributes to tumorigenesis. Nat Genet. 2008;40(1):43–50.
Mott JL, Kurita S, Cazanave SC, Bronk SF, Werneburg NW, Fernandez-Zapico ME. Transcriptional suppression of mir-29b-1/mir-29a promoter by c-Myc, hedgehog, and NF-kappaB. J Cell Biochem. 2010;110(5):1155–64.
Maurer B, Stanczyk J, Jungel A, Akhmetshina A, Trenkmann M, Brock M, et al. MicroRNA-29, a key regulator of collagen expression in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum. 2010;62(6):1733–43.
Ogawa T, Iizuka M, Sekiya Y, Yoshizato K, Ikeda K, Kawada N. Suppression of type I collagen production by microRNA-29b in cultured human stellate cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010;391(1):316–21.
Kwiecinski M, Noetel A, Elfimova N, Trebicka J, Schievenbusch S, Strack I, et al. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inhibits collagen I and IV synthesis in hepatic stellate cells by miRNA-29 induction. PloS One. 2011;6(9):e24568.
Divakaran V, Adrogue J, Ishiyama M, Entman ML, Haudek S, Sivasubramanian N, et al. Adaptive and maladptive effects of SMAD3 signaling in the adult heart after hemodynamic pressure overloading. Circ Heart Fail. 2009;2(6):633–42.
Long J, Wang Y, Wang W, Chang BH, Danesh FR. MicroRNA-29c is a signature microRNA under high glucose conditions that targets Sprouty homolog 1, and its in vivo knockdown prevents progression of diabetic nephropathy. J Biol Chem. 2011;286(13):11837–48.
Melnik BC. The pathogenic role of persistent milk signaling in mTORC1- and milk-microRNA-driven type 2 diabetes mellitus. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2015;11(1):46–62.
Zhou L, Wang L, Lu L, Jiang P, Sun H, Wang H. Inhibition of miR-29 by TGF-beta-Smad3 signaling through dual mechanisms promotes transdifferentiation of mouse myoblasts into myofibroblasts. PloS One. 2012;7(3):e33766.
Li M, Wang N, Zhang J, He HP, Gong HQ, Zhang R, et al. MicroRNA-29a-3p attenuates ET-1-induced hypertrophic responses in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Gene. 2016;585(1):44–50.
Dawson K, Wakili R, Ordog B, Clauss S, Chen Y, Iwasaki Y, et al. MicroRNA29: a mechanistic contributor and potential biomarker in atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2013;127(14):1466–75, 75e1–28.
Zhang Y, Huang XR, Wei LH, Chung AC, Yu CM, Lan HY. miR-29b as a therapeutic agent for angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis by targeting TGF-beta/Smad3 signaling. Mol Ther. 2014;22(5):974–85.
Melo SF, Fernandes T, Baraúna VG, Matos KC, Santos AA, Tucci PJ, et al. Expression of microRNA-29 and collagen in cardiac muscle after swimming training in myocardial-infarcted rats. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2014;33(3):657–69.
Yang F, Li P, Li H, Shi Q, Li S, Zhao L. microRNA-29b mediates the antifibrotic effect of tanshinone IIA in postinfarct cardiac remodeling. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2015;65(5):456–64.
Ye Y, Hu Z, Lin Y, Zhang C, Perez-Polo JR. Downregulation of microRNA-29 by antisense inhibitors and a PPAR-gamma agonist protects against myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Cardiovasc Res. 2010;87(3):535–44.
Boon RA, Seeger T, Heydt S, Fischer A, Hergenreider E, Horrevoets AJ, et al. MicroRNA-29 in aortic dilation: implications for aneurysm formation. Circ Res. 2011;109(10):1115–9.
Maegdefessel L, Azuma J, Toh R, Merk DR, Deng A, Chin JT, et al. Inhibition of microRNA-29b reduces murine abdominal aortic aneurysm development. J Clin Invest. 2012;122(2):497–506.
Jones JA, Stroud RE, O’Quinn EC, Black LE, Barth JL, Elefteriades JA, et al. Selective microRNA suppression in human thoracic aneurysms: relationship of miR-29a to aortic size and proteolytic induction. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2011;4(6):605–13.
Xiao J, Meng XM, Huang XR, Chung AC, Feng YL, Hui DS, et al. miR-29 inhibits bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Mol Ther. 2012;20(6):1251–60.
Wang Y, Liu J, Chen J, Feng T, Guo Q. MiR-29 mediates TGFbeta 1-induced extracellular matrix synthesis through activation of Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in human pulmonary fibroblasts. Technol Health Care. 2015;23(Suppl 1):S119–25.
Yang T, Liang Y, Lin Q, Liu J, Luo F, Li X, et al. miR-29 mediates TGFbeta1-induced extracellular matrix synthesis through activation of PI3K-AKT pathway in human lung fibroblasts. J Cell Biochem. 2013;114(6):1336–42.
Cushing L, Kuang P, Lu J. The role of miR-29 in pulmonary fibrosis. Biochem Cell Biol. 2015;93(2):109–18.
Zhang Y, Ghazwani M, Li J, Sun M, Stolz DB, He F, et al. MiR-29b inhibits collagen maturation in hepatic stellate cells through down-regulating the expression of HSP47 and lysyl oxidase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2014;446(4):940–4.
Sekiya Y, Ogawa T, Yoshizato K, Ikeda K, Kawada N. Suppression of hepatic stellate cell activation by microRNA-29b. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2011;412(1):74–9.
Matsumoto Y, Itami S, Kuroda M, Yoshizato K, Kawada N, Murakami Y. MiR-29a assists in preventing the activation of human stellate cells and promotes recovery from liver fibrosis in mice. Mol Ther. 2016;24(10):1848–59.
Liang C, Bu S, Fan X. Suppressive effect of microRNA-29b on hepatic stellate cell activation and its crosstalk with TGF-beta1/Smad3. Cell Biochem Funct. 2016;34(5):326–33.
Wang J, Chu ES, Chen HY, Man K, Go MY, Huang XR, et al. microRNA-29b prevents liver fibrosis by attenuating hepatic stellate cell activation and inducing apoptosis through targeting PI3K/AKT pathway. Oncotarget. 2015;6(9):7325–38.
Kumar V, Mondal G, Dutta R, Mahato RI. Co-delivery of small molecule hedgehog inhibitor and miRNA for treating liver fibrosis. Biomaterials. 2016;76:144–56.
Huang YH, Tiao MM, Huang LT, Chuang JH, Kuo KC, Yang YL, et al. Activation of Mir-29a in activated hepatic stellate cells modulates its profibrogenic phenotype through inhibition of histone deacetylases 4. PloS One. 2015;10(8):e0136453.
Li SC, Wang FS, Yang YL, Tiao MM, Chuang JH, Huang YH. Microarray study of pathway analysis expression profile associated with MicroRNA-29a with regard to murine cholestatic liver injuries. Int J Mol Sci. 2016;17(3):324.
Kwiecinski M, Elfimova N, Noetel A, Tox U, Steffen HM, Hacker U, et al. Expression of platelet-derived growth factor-C and insulin-like growth factor I in hepatic stellate cells is inhibited by miR-29. Lab Invest. 2012;92(7):978–87.
Li J, Zhang Y, Kuruba R, Gao X, Gandhi CR, Xie W, et al. Roles of microRNA-29a in the antifibrotic effect of farnesoid X receptor in hepatic stellate cells. Mol Pharmacol. 2011;80(1):191–200.
Chen HY, Zhong X, Huang XR, Meng XM, You Y, Chung AC, et al. MicroRNA-29b inhibits diabetic nephropathy in db/db mice. Mol Ther. 2014;22(4):842–53.
Fang Y, Yu X, Liu Y, Kriegel AJ, Heng Y, Xu X, et al. miR-29c is downregulated in renal interstitial fibrosis in humans and rats and restored by HIF-alpha activation. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2013;304(10):F1274–82.
Qin W, Chung AC, Huang XR, Meng XM, Hui DS, Yu CM, et al. TGF-beta/Smad3 signaling promotes renal fibrosis by inhibiting miR-29. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011;22(8):1462–74.
Liu GX, Li YQ, Huang XR, Wei L, Chen HY, Shi YJ, et al. Disruption of Smad7 promotes ANG II-mediated renal inflammation and fibrosis via Sp1-TGF-beta/Smad3-NF.kappaB-dependent mechanisms in mice. PloS One. 2013;8(1):e53573.
Zhu H, Li Y, Qu S, Luo H, Zhou Y, Wang Y, et al. MicroRNA expression abnormalities in limited cutaneous scleroderma and diffuse cutaneous scleroderma. J Clin Immunol. 2012;32(3):514–22.
Ciechomska M, O’Reilly S, Suwara M, Bogunia-Kubik K, van Laar JM. MiR-29a reduces TIMP-1 production by dermal fibroblasts via targeting TGF-beta activated kinase 1 binding protein 1, implications for systemic sclerosis. PloS One. 2014;9(12):e115596.
Jafarinejad-Farsangi S, Farazmand A, Mahmoudi M, Gharibdoost F, Karimizadeh E, Noorbakhsh F, et al. MicroRNA-29a induces apoptosis via increasing the Bax:Bcl-2 ratio in dermal fibroblasts of patients with systemic sclerosis. Autoimmunity. 2015;48(6):369–78.
Sole C, Cortes-Hernandez J, Felip ML, Vidal M, Ordi-Ros J. miR-29c in urinary exosomes as predictor of early renal fibrosis in lupus nephritis. Nephrol Dialysis Transplant. 2015;30(9):1488–96.
Dai Y, Dai D, Mehta JL. MicroRNA-29, a mysterious regulator in myocardial fibrosis and circulating miR-29a as a biomarker. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;64(20):2181.
Takeuchi-Yorimoto A, Yamaura Y, Kanki M, Ide T, Nakata A, Noto T, et al. MicroRNA-21 is associated with fibrosis in a rat model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and serves as a plasma biomarker for fibrotic liver disease. Toxicol Lett. 2016;258:159–67.
Makiguchi T, Yamada M, Yoshioka Y, Sugiura H, Koarai A, Chiba S, et al. Serum extracellular vesicular miR-21-5p is a predictor of the prognosis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Respir Res. 2016;17(1):110.
Li P, Zhao GQ, Chen TF, Chang JX, Wang HQ, Chen SS, et al. Serum miR-21 and miR-155 expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. J Asthma. 2013;50(9):960–4.
Christmann RB, Wooten A, Sampaio-Barros P, Borges CL, Carvalho CR, Kairalla RA, et al. miR-155 in the progression of lung fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2016;18(1):155.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Z. Deng, Y. He, X. Yang, H. Shi, A. Shi, L. Lu and L. He have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this article.
Funding
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC; Grant Number 81560502), the National Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province (Grant Numbers 2013FB044 and 2014FB008), and the Education Department Fund of Yunnan Province (Grant Numbers 2014Y165, 2015Z082), and by a Doctoral Graduate Academic Newcomer Award of Yunnan Province (2014).
Additional information
Z. Deng, Y. He, X. Yang and H. Shi contributed equally to this work and should be considered joint first authors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Deng, Z., He, Y., Yang, X. et al. MicroRNA-29: A Crucial Player in Fibrotic Disease. Mol Diagn Ther 21, 285–294 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-016-0253-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-016-0253-9