Autophagy is a biological process characterized by self-digestion and involves induction of autophagosome formation, leading to degradation of autophagic cargo. Aging is associated with the reduction of autophagy activity leading to neurodegenerative disorders, chronic inflammation, and susceptibility to infection; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. DNA methylation by DNA methyltransferases reduces the expression of corresponding genes. Since macrophages are major players in inflammation and defense against infection we determined the differences in methylation of autophagy genes in macrophages derived from young and aged mice. We found that promoter regions of Atg5 and LC3B are hypermethylated in macrophages from aged mice and this is accompanied by low gene expression. Treatment of aged mice and their derived macrophages with methyltransferase inhibitor (2)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) or specific DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2) siRNA restored the expression of Atg5 and LC3 in vivo and in vitro. Our study builds a foundation for the development of novel therapeutics aimed to improve autophagy in the elderly population and suggests a role for DNMT2 in DNA methylation activities.

Amongst the most severe clinical outcomes of life-long infections with Helicobacter pylori is the development of peptic ulcers and gastric adenocarcinoma - diseases often associated with an increase of regulatory T cells. Understanding H. pylori-driven regulation of T cells is therefore of crucial clinical importance. Several studies have defined mammalian microRNAs as key regulators of the immune system and of carcinogenic processes. Hence, we aimed here to identify H. pylori-regulated miRNAs, mainly in human T cells. MicroRNA profiling of non-infected and infected human T cells revealed H. pylori infection triggers miR-155 expression in vitro and in vivo. By using single and double H. pylori mutants and the corresponding purified enzymes, the bacterial vacuolating toxin A (VacA) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tested positive for their ability to regulate miR-155 and Foxp3 expression in human lymphocytes; the latter being considered as the master regulator and marker of regulatory T cells. RNAi-mediated knockdown (KD) of the Foxp3 transcription factor in T cells abolished miR-155 expression. Using adenylate cyclase inhibitors, the miR-155 induction cascade was shown to be dependent on the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Furthermore, we found that miR-155 directly targets the protein kinase A inhibitor α (PKIα) mRNA in its 3′UTR, indicative of a positive feedback mechanism on the cAMP pathway. Taken together, our study describes, in the context of an H. pylori infection, a direct link between Foxp3 and miR-155 in human T cells and highlights the significance of cAMP in this miR-155 induction cascade.

Microtubule-associated protein 1 (MAP1) light chain 3 (LC3) has proven useful as autophagosomal marker in studies on the interaction between pathogens and the host autophagic machinery. However, th...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal, genetic disorder that critically affects the lungs and is directly caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, resulting in defective CFTR function. Macroautophagy/autophagy is a highly regulated biological process that provides energy during periods of stress and starvation. Autophagy clears pathogens and dysfunctional protein aggregates within macrophages. However, this process is impaired in CF patients and CF mice, as their macrophages exhibit limited autophagy activity. The study of microRNAs (Mirs), and other noncoding RNAs, continues to offer new therapeutic targets. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of Mirs in dysregulated autophagy-related genes in CF macrophages, and then target them to restore this host-defense function and improve CFTR channel function. We identified the Mirc1/Mir17-92 cluster as a potential negative regulator of autophagy as CF macrophages exhibit decreased autophagy protein expression and increased cluster expression when compared to wild-type (WT) counterparts. The absence or reduced expression of the cluster increases autophagy protein expression, suggesting the canonical inverse relationship between Mirc1/Mir17-92 and autophagy gene expression. An in silico study for targets of Mirs that comprise the cluster suggested that the majority of the Mirs target autophagy mRNAs. Those targets were validated by luciferase assays. Notably, the ability of macrophages expressing mutant F508del CFTR to transport halide through their membranes is compromised and can be restored by downregulation of these inherently elevated Mirs, via restoration of autophagy. In vivo, downregulation of Mir17 and Mir20a partially restored autophagy expression and hence improved the clearance of Burkholderia cenocepacia. Thus, these data advance our understanding of mechanisms underlying the pathobiology of CF and provide a new therapeutic platform for restoring CFTR function and autophagy in patients with CF.