HIV-1 Vpr protein upregulates microRNA-210-5p expression to induce G2 arrest by targeting TGIF2

PLoS One. 2021 Dec 29;16(12):e0261971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261971. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important molecules that mediate virus-host interactions, mainly by regulating gene expression via gene silencing. Here, we demonstrated that HIV-1 infection upregulated miR-210-5p in HIV-1-inoculated cell lines and in the serum of HIV-1-infected individuals. Luciferase reporter assays and western blotting confirmed that a target protein of miR-210-5p, TGIF2, is regulated by HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, HIV-1 Vpr protein induced miR-210-5p expression. The use of a miR-210-5p inhibitor and TGIF2 overexpression showed that Vpr upregulated miR-210-5p and thereby downregulated TGIF2, which might be one of the mechanisms used by Vpr to induce G2 arrest. Moreover, we identified a transcription factor, NF-κB p50, which upregulated miR-210-5p in response to Vpr protein. In conclusion, we identified a mechanism whereby miR-210-5p, which is induced upon HIV-1 infection, targets TGIF2. This pathway was initiated by Vpr protein activating NF-κB p50, which promoted G2 arrest. These alterations orchestrated by miRNA provide new evidence on how HIV-1 interacts with its host during infection and increase our understanding of the mechanism by which Vpr regulates the cell cycle.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints
  • HIV Infections* / immunology
  • HIV Infections* / virology
  • HIV-1 / immunology*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / immunology*
  • Host Microbial Interactions / immunology*
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / immunology*
  • Repressor Proteins / immunology*
  • vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology*

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • MIRN210 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Repressor Proteins
  • TGIF2 protein, human
  • vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • vpr protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1

Grants and funding

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 31670167); Wuhan Science and Technology Bureau (Grant Number: 2020020601012318) and Jianghan University (Grant Number: 1010/08190001, 2021yb138 and 2019037). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.