Diverse mechanisms of miRNA regulation in CYP2E1 expression. (A) Schematic map of CYP2E1 mRNA with miRNA targeting sites. CYP2E1 mRNA is directly targeted by multiple miRNAs at different regions (miR-214–3p at the coding sequence and miR-552, miR-570, and miR-378a-5p at the 3′-UTR) for post-transcriptional gene repression. 3′ end of the miR-570 MRE and 5′ end of the miR-378a-5p MRE on CYP2E1 mRNA overlap and both encompass two SNPs 1556 T/A and 1561 A/G; however, the SNPs only affect miRNA-mediated gene suppression by miR-570 but not miR-378a-5p. (B) Molecular mechanisms of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of CYP2E1 gene expression in the cell. miR-214–3p, miR-552, miR-570, and miR-378a-5p recognize and bind to CYP2E1 mRNA in the cytoplasm for post-transcription gene suppression. miR-552 can also bind to the promoter region of CYP2E1, which prohibits RNA Pol II from interacting with the promoter and thereby inhibit CYP2E1 transcription. MiR-320a and miR-877–5p downregulates CYP2E1 transactivators HNF1A and NR1I2, respectively, by directly binding to the 3′-UTR of the corresponding transactivator; the decrease of HNF1A and NR1I2 leads to reduced transcription of CYP2E1.