Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review
  • Published:

The role of microRNAs in B-cell development and function

Abstract

MicroRNA (miRNA)-mediated gene silencing at the translational level has led to novel discoveries for numerous biological processes. Recently, there has been increasing evidence to indicate that miRNAs are involved in normal immune functions and inflammation. In this review, we focus on recent advances that have elucidated the role of miRNAs in B-cell development, differentiation, apoptosis and function. While the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in controlling and maintaining B-cell fate remain largely uncharacterized, further studies on miRNAs and their targets will increase our understanding of B-cell development and function. Such studies may be able to provide new therapeutic strategies for treating autoimmune diseases.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kim VN, Han J, Siomi MC . Biogenesis of small RNAs in animals. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2009; 10: 126–139.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lee RC, Feinbaum RL, Ambros V . The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-4 encodes small RNAs with antisense complementarity to lin-14. Cell 1993; 75: 843–854.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bartel DP . MicroRNAs: genomics, biogenesis, mechanism, and function. Cell 2004; 116: 281–297.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rao DS, O'Connell RM, Chaudhuri AA, Garcia-Flores Y, Geiger TL, Baltimore D . MicroRNA-34a perturbs B lymphocyte development by repressing the forkhead box transcription factor Foxp1. Immunity 2010; 33: 48–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Koralov SB, Muljo SA, Galler GR, Krek A, Chakraborty T, Kanellopoulou C et al. Dicer ablation affects antibody diversity and cell survival in the B lymphocyte lineage. Cell 2008; 132: 860–874.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Xu S, Guo K, Zeng Q, Huo J, Lam KP . The RNase III enzyme Dicer is essential for germinal center B-cell formation. Blood 2012; 119: 767–776.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen CZ, Li L, Lodish HF, Bartel DP . MicroRNAs modulate hematopoietic lineage differentiation. Science 2004; 303: 83–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Li X, Zhang J, Gao L, McClellan S, Finan MA, Butler TW et al. MiR-181 mediates cell differentiation by interrupting the Lin28 and let-7 feedback circuit. Cell Death Differ 2012; 19: 378–386.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Monticelli S, Ansel KM, Xiao C, Socci ND, Krichevsky AM, Thai TH et al. MicroRNA profiling of the murine hematopoietic system. Genome Biol 2005; 6: R71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Xiao C, Calado DP, Galler G, Thai TH, Patterson HC, Wang J et al. MiR-150 controls B cell differentiation by targeting the transcription factor c-Myb. Cell 2007; 131: 146–159.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhou B, Wang S, Mayr C, Bartel DP, Lodish HF . miR-150, a microRNA expressed in mature B and T cells, blocks early B cell development when expressed prematurely. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007; 104: 7080–7085.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ventura A, Young AG, Winslow MM, Lintault L, Meissner A, Erkeland SJ et al. Targeted deletion reveals essential and overlapping functions of the miR-17 through 92 family of miRNA clusters. Cell 2008; 132: 875–886.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Xiao C, Srinivasan L, Calado DP, Patterson HC, Zhang B, Wang J et al. Lymphoproliferative disease and autoimmunity in mice with increased miR-17-92 expression in lymphocytes. Nat Immunol 2008; 9: 405–414.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Fernando TR, Rodriguez-Malave NI, Rao DS . MicroRNAs in B cell development and malignancy. J Hematol Oncol 2012; 5: 7–17.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Sonkoly E, Stahle M, Pivarcsi A . MicroRNAs and immunity: novel players in the regulation of normal immune function and inflammation. Semin Cancer Biol 2008; 18: 131–140.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lagos-Quintana M, Rauhut R, Yalcin A, Meyer J, Lendeckel W, Tuschl T . Identification of tissue-specific microRNAs from mouse. Curr Biol 2002; 12: 735–739.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Eis PS, Tam W, Sun L, Chadburn A, Li Z, Gomez MF et al. Accumulation of miR-155 and BIC RNA in human B cell lymphomas. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2005; 102: 3627–3632.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Metzler M, Wilda M, Busch K, Viehmann S, Borkhardt A . High expression of precursor microRNA-155/BIC RNA in children with Burkittlymphoma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2004; 39: 167–169.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. van den Berg A, Kroesen BJ, Kooistra K, de Jong D, Briggs J, Blokzijl T et al. High expression of B-cell receptor inducible gene BIC in all subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2003; 37: 20–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Costinean S, Zanesi N, Pekarsky Y, Tili E, Volinia S, Heerema N et al. Pre-B cell proliferation and lymphoblastic leukemia/high-grade lymphoma in E(mu)-miR155 transgenic mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006; 103: 7024–7029.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Haasch D, Chen YW, Reilly RM, Chiou XG, Koterski S, Smith ML et al. T cell activation induces a noncoding RNA transcript sensitive to inhibition byimmunosuppressant drugs and encoded by the proto-oncogene, BIC. Cell Immunol 2002; 217: 78–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rodriguez A, Vigorito E, Clare S, Warren MV, Couttet P, Soond DR et al. Requirement of bic/microRNA-155 for normal immune function. Science 2007; 316: 608–611.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Thai TH, Calado DP, Casola S, Ansel KM, Xiao C, Xue Y et al. Regulation of the germinal center response by microRNA-155. Science 2007; 316: 604–608.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Singh H, Pongubala JM, Medina KL . Gene regulatory networks that orchestrate the development of B lymphocyte precursors. Adv Exp Med Biol 2007; 596: 57–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Calame K . MicroRNA-155 Function in B Cells. Immunity 2007; 27: 825–827.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Vigorito E, Perks KL, Abreu-Goodger C, Bunting S, Xiang Z, Kohlhaas S et al. microRNA-155 regulates the generation of immunoglobulin class-switched plasma cells. Immunity 2007; 27: 847–859.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Teng G, Hakimpour P, Landgraf P, Rice A, Tuschl T, Casellas R et al. MicroRNA-155 is a negative regulator of activation-induced cytidine deaminase. Immunity 2008; 28: 621–629.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. de Yebenes VG, Belver L, Pisano DG, Gonzalez S, Villasante A, Croce C et al. miR-181b negatively regulates activation-induced cytidine deaminase in B cells. J Exp Med 2008; 205: 2199–2206.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Calin GA, Cimmino A, Fabbri M, Ferracin M, Wojcik SE, Shimizu M et al. MiR-15a and miR-16-1 cluster functions in human leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2008; 105: 5166–5171.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Puissegur MP, Eichner R, Quelen C, Coyaud E, Mari B, Lebrigand K et al. B-cell regulator of immunoglobulin heavy chain transcription (Bright)/ARID3a is a direct target of the oncomir microRNA-125b in progenitor B-cells. Leukemia 2012; 26: 2224–2232.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Kluiver JL, Chen CZ . MicroRNAs regulate B-cell receptor signaling-induced apoptosis. Genes Immun 2021; 13: 239–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Chen G, Zhu W, Shi D, Lv L, Zhang C, Liu P et al. MicroRNA-181a sensitizes human malignant glioma U87MG cells to radiation by targeting Bcl-2. Oncol Rep 2010; 23: 997–1003.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhu W, Shan X, Wang T, Shu Y, Liu P . miR-181b modulates multidrug resistance by targeting BCL2 in human cancer cell lines. Int J Cancer 2010; 127: 2520–2529.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Zimmerman EI, Dollins CM, Crawford M, Grant S, Nana-Sinkam SP, Richards KL et al. Lyn kinase-dependent regulation of miR181 and myeloid cell leukemia-1 expression: implications for drug resistance in myelogenous leukemia. Mol Pharmacol 2010; 78: 811–817.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Belver L, de Yebenes VG, Ramiro AR . MicroRNAs prevent the generation of autoreactive antibodies. Immunity 2010; 33: 713–722.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Garchow BG, Bartulos Encinas O, Leung YT, Tsao PY, Eisenberg RA, Caricchio R et al. Silencing of microRNA-21 in vivo ameliorates autoimmune splenomegaly in lupus mice. EMBO Mol Med 2011; 3: 605–615.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Dai R, Zhang Y, Khan D, Heid B, Caudell D, Crasta O et al. Identification of a common lupus disease-associated microRNA expression pattern in three different murine models of lupus. PLoS One 2010; 5: e14302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Yuan Y, Kasar S, Underbayev C, Vollenweider D, Salerno E, Kotenko SV et al. Role of microRNA-15a in autoantibody production in interferon-augmented murine model of lupus. Mol Immunol 2012; 52: 61–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Klein U, Lia M, Crespo M, Siegel R, Shen Q, Mo T et al. The DLEU2/miR-15a/16-1 cluster controls B cell proliferation and its deletion leads to chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer Cell 2010; 17: 28–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Nakasa T, Miyaki S, Okubo A, Hashimoto M, Nishida K, Ochi M et al. Expression of microRNA-146 in rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue. Arthritis Rheum 2008; 58: 1284–1292.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Li J, Wan Y, Guo Q, Zou L, Zhang J, Fang Y et al. Altered microRNA expression profile with miR-146a upregulation in CD4+ T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2010; 12: R81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Duroux-Richard I, Jorgensen C, Apparailly F . What do microRNAs mean for rheumatoid arthritis? Arthritis Rheum 2012; 64: 11–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Drs Qi-jing Li and Lili Du for the critical reading of the manuscript. This study was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program, 2010CB529100) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81273288 and No. 81201587).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yongfei Fang or Yuzhang Wu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, J., Wan, Y., Ji, Q. et al. The role of microRNAs in B-cell development and function. Cell Mol Immunol 10, 107–112 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2012.62

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2012.62

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links