Identification of protein factors regulating secretion of specific miRNAs

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26640095
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Tumor diagnostics
• Research Institution: National Cancer Center Japan
• Principal Investigator: Tsuchiya Naoto 国立研究開発法人国立がん研究センター, 研究所, ユニット長 (30322712)
• Research Collaborator: YOSHIMATSU Yuki
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外マイクロRNA / 分泌複合体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

MicroRNA (miRNA), a class of small non-coding RNAs, have been attracting major interest in the field of cancer research to analyze molecular pathways that are deeply involved in cancer progression. In addition to their important cellular functions, secreted miRNAs (extra-cellular miRNA, ex-miRNAs) mediated by exosomes have also been considered to contribute the connection of inter-cellular networks. Although the increasing a body of evidences indicates important biological functions of ex-miRNAs, the mechanism how specific miRNAs transported into exosomes is still unknown. We, here, conducted the detailed analysis of biochemical properties for miRNA complexes, which are detectable in exosome-enriched fraction, and found that considerable number of ex-miRNAs is secreted by unknown protein complex. Furthermore, 14 proteins were identified as candidates of a novel complex, whose knockdown was suggested to regulates secretion of specific miRNAs from cancer cells.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学