Yuri Dalessandra

The p53 family of transcription factors plays a pivotal role in the control of the cellular response to DNA damaging agents. In addition to pro-apoptotic molecules such as p53, TAp73 and TAp63, this gene family also encodes for the anti-apoptotic molecules deltaNp73, deltaNp63, deltaNp53, and p53 mutants are often found in tumor cells, that have the role to limit and to modulate the pro-apoptotic side of the family. The ratio between the different members of the family is critical to make the life or death decision following DNA damage and is tightly regulated by post-translational and transcriptional mechanisms. In this study we have uncovered a novel positive feedback that involves the transcriptional activation of the anti-apoptotic molecule deltaNp63 by the anti-apoptotic molecules deltaNp73 and mutant p53, and that is put into motion upon treatment with a subset of DNA damaging agents such as Doxorubicin and 5-FU. DeltaNp73 and mutant p53 associate with the deltaNp63 promoter inducing its transcription and this is enhanced by doxorubicin treatment. Furthermore we have observed that deltaNp73- and mutp53-mediated activation of the deltaNp63 promoter requires the functionality of the proximal CCAAT boxes of this promoter, being hampered by mutation of CCAAT boxes or by dominant negative NFYA expression. This mechanism may serve as an additional control of the response of a normal cell to DNA damage or as an anti-apoptotic barrier of cancer cells subjected to DNA damage.

We will review the role of microRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs with regulatory function, in myocardial infarction (MI). Specifically, we will examine the effect of MI on miRNAs' expression in the heart, the effect of MI on circulating miRNAs, which miRNAs' overexpression or downmodulation appears to have a therapeutic role in MI and which cardiac miRNAs are modulated by drugs/experimental molecules/cell transplantation strategies which have an established or potential therapeutic role in MI. A rapidly increasing number of studies are showing that cardiac and circulating miRNAs are markedly altered in MI. These novel findings shed new light on the mechanisms that lead to MI complications, post-MI ventricular remodeling and cardiac repair. Further, recent studies show that circulating miRNAs may represent novel and sensitive biomarkers of MI and, possibly, also an intercellular signaling mechanism. Overexpression and downregulation of specific miRNAs are being evaluated as a novel approach to the treatment of MI. Finally, it appears that some established and potential MI therapies (approved drugs/experimental molecules/cell therapy interventions) may act, at least in part, via modulation of specific miRNAs. Although miRNAs' role in MI is still largely uncharacterized, recent studies suggest that miRNAs may represent novel therapeutic targets and MI biomarkers.

AIMS:

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) may represent a novel class of biomarkers; therefore, we examined whether acute myocardial infarction (MI) modulates miRNAs plasma levels in humans and mice.
METHODS AND RESULTS:

Healthy donors (n = 17) and patients (n = 33) with acute ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) were evaluated. In one cohort (n = 25), the first plasma sample was obtained 517 ± 309 min after the onset of MI symptoms and after coronary reperfusion with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); miR-1, -133a, -133b, and -499-5p were ~15- to 140-fold control, whereas miR-122 and -375 were ~87-90% lower than control; 5 days later, miR-1, -133a, -133b, -499-5p, and -375 were back to baseline, whereas miR-122 remained lower than control through Day 30. In additional patients (n = 8; four treated with thrombolysis and four with PCI), miRNAs and troponin I (TnI) were quantified simultaneously starting 156 ± 72 min after the onset of symptoms and at different times thereafter. Peak miR-1, -133a, and -133b expression and TnI level occurred at a similar time, whereas miR-499-5p exhibited a slower time course. In mice, miRNAs plasma levels and TnI were measured 15 min after coronary ligation and at different times thereafter. The behaviour of miR-1, -133a, -133b, and -499-5p was similar to STEMI patients; further, reciprocal changes in the expression levels of these miRNAs were found in cardiac tissue 3-6 h after coronary ligation. In contrast, miR-122 and -375 exhibited minor changes and no significant modulation. In mice with acute hind-limb ischaemia, there was no increase in the plasma level of the above miRNAs.
CONCLUSION:

Acute MI up-regulated miR-1, -133a, -133b, and -499-5p plasma levels, both in humans and mice, whereas miR-122 and -375 were lower than control only in STEMI patients. These miRNAs represent novel biomarkers of cardiac damage.