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. 2012 Nov 3;18(1):34–46. doi: 10.2478/s11658-012-0038-z

microRNAs: fine tuning of erythropoiesis

Marcin A Listowski 1, Elżbieta Heger 1, Dżamila M Bogusławska 1, Beata Machnicka 1, Kazimierz Kuliczkowski 2, Jacek Leluk 1, Aleksander F Sikorski 1,3,✉
PMCID: PMC6276011  PMID: 23124859

Abstract

Cell proliferation and differentiation is a complex process involving many cellular mechanisms. One of the best-studied phenomena in cell differentiation is erythrocyte development during hematopoiesis in vertebrates. In recent years, a new class of small, endogenous, non-coding RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs) emerged as important regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Thousands of miRNAs have been identified in various organisms, including protozoa, fungi, bacteria and viruses, proving that the regulatory miRNA pathway is conserved in evolution. There are many examples of miRNA-mediated regulation of gene expression in the processes of cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and in cancer genesis. Many of the collected data clearly show the dependence of the proteome of a cell on the qualitative and quantitative composition of endogenous miRNAs. Numerous specific miRNAs are present in the hematopoietic erythroid line. This review attempts to summarize the state of knowledge on the role of miRNAs in the regulation of different stages of erythropoiesis. Original experimental data and results obtained with bioinformatics tools were combined to elucidate the currently known regulatory network of miRNAs that guide the process of differentiation of red blood cells.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.2478/s11658-012-0038-z and is accessible for authorized users.

Key words: Hematopoiesis, Erythrocyte, Erythroid differentiation, Erythropoiesis, microRNA (miRNA), microRNA expression

Full Text

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Abbreviations used

AE1

anion exchanger 1

Ago2

eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2C, 2

ARE

antioxidant response element

DGCR8

DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 8

GATA-1

GATA-binding protein 1 (globin transcription factor 1)

GATA-2

GATA-binding protein 2

GSH

glutathione

ha-siRNA

heterochromatin-associated small interfering RNA

miRNA

microRNA

nat-siRNA

natural antisense small interfering RNA

ORF

open reading frame

PHZ

phenylhydrazine

piRNA

piwi-interacting RNA

RISC

RNA-induced silencing complex

RNAi

RNA interference

ROS

reactive oxygen species

scn-siRNA

siRNA-like scan (scn) RNA

siRNA

small interfering RNA

tasiRNA

trans-acting small interfering RNA

TRBP

TAR (HIV-1) RNA-binding protein 2

Footnotes

These authors contributed equally to this work

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