miR-377 induces senescence in human skin fibroblasts by targeting DNA methyltransferase 1

Cell Death Dis. 2017 Mar 9;8(3):e2663. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2017.75.

Abstract

Skin aging is a complicated physiological process and epigenetic feature, including microRNA-mediated regulation and DNA methylation, have been shown to contribute to this process. DNA methylation is regulated by DNA methyltransferase, of which DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is the most abundantly known. But evidence supporting its role in skin aging remains scarce, and no report regards its specifical upstream-regulating molecules in the process of skin aging so far. Here, we found that DNMT1 expression was markedly higher in young human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) than that in passage-aged HSFs, and DNMT1 knockdown significantly induced the senescence phenotype in young HSFs. We predicted the upstream miRNAs which could regulate DNMT1 with miRNA databases and found miR-377 had high homology with a sequence in the 3'-UTR of human DNMT1 mRNA. We confirmed that miR-377 was a potential regulator of DNMT1 by luciferase reporter assays. miR-377 expression in passage-aged HSFs was markedly higher than that in the young HSFs. miR-377 overexpression promoted senescence in young HSFs, and inhibition of miR-377 reduced senescence in passage-aged HSFs. Moreover, these functions were mediated by targeting DNMT1. Microfluidic PCR and next-generation bisulfite sequencing of 24 senescent-associated genes' promoters revealed alterations of the promoter methylation levels of FoxD3, p53, and UTF1 in HSFs treated with miR-377 mimics or inhibitors. We also verified that the miR-377-mediated changes in p53 expression could be reversed by regulation of DNMT1 in HSFs. Similarly, there was a negative correlation between miR-377 and DNMT1 expression in young and photoaged HSFs, HSFs, or skin tissues from UV-unexposed areas of different aged donors. Our results highlight a novel role for miR-377-DNMT1-p53 axis in HSF senescence. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms of skin aging and identify future opportunities for its therapeutic prevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / genetics*
  • DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1
  • DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / genetics*
  • DNA Methylation / genetics*
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*

Substances

  • MIRN377 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1
  • DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases
  • DNMT1 protein, human