Elevated MicroRNA-155 Targets HBP1 to Promote the Formation of Macrophage-Derived Foam Cell and This Can Be Effectively Suppressed by YY1/HDACs Complex

Aims: We aim to investigate the role of microRNAs in the formation of macrophage-derived foam cell. Methods and results: Using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that the level of microRNA-155 (miR-155), a macrophage-associated microRNA, was significantly increased both in plasma of atherosclerotic ApoE-/- mice and in macrophages isolated from this animal model. Indeed, oxLDL effectively induced expression and release of miR-155 in macrophages. We further identified that miR-155 was required to mediate oxLDL-induced lipid uptake and ROS production of macrophages. Importantly, ectopic overexpression and knockdown experiments identified that HMG box-containing protein 1(HBP1) is a novel target of miR-155. Knockdown of HBP1considerably enhanced lipid uptake and ROS production in oxLDL-induced macrophages, and overexpression of HBP1 effectively repressed these effects caused by miR-155 overexpression. Interestingly, bioinformatics analysis identified three YY1 binding sites in promoter region of pri-miR- 155. EMSA and ChIP analyses verified YY1 directly binding to its promoter region. Furthermore, quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that YY1/HDAC2/4 complex negatively regulated the expression of miR-155 to suppress foam cell formation. Conclusions: In oxLDL-induced macrophages, elevated miR-155 directly targets HBP1 to promote lipid uptake and ROS production, and YY1/HDAC2/4 complex effectively inhibits foam cell formation mediated by miR-155. This study reveals a novel molecular mechanism in the atherosclerosis and suggests miR-155 is a potential therapeutic target.