MicroRNA‐181a restricts human γδ T cell differentiation by targeting Map3k2 and Notch2

• Main Author: Gordino, Gisela
• Publication Date: 2021
• Other Authors: Costa‐Pereira, Sara, Corredeira, Patrícia, Alves, Patrícia, Costa, Luís, Gomes, Anita Q., Silva‐Santos, Bruno, Ribot, Julie C.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/14061
• topic: Cancer; Effector T lymphocytes; miR-181a; microRNAs; γδ T cells

γδ T cells are a conserved population of lymphocytes that contributes to anti-tumor responses through its overt type 1 inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. We have previously shown that human γδ T cells acquire this profile upon stimulation with IL-2 or IL-15, in a differentiation process dependent on MAPK/ERK signaling. Here, we identify microRNA-181a as a key modulator of human γδ T cell differentiation. We observe that miR-181a is highly expressed in patients with prostate cancer and that this pattern is associated with lower expression of NKG2D, a critical mediator of cancer surveillance. Interestingly, miR-181a expression negatively correlates with an activated type 1 effector profile obtained from in vitro differentiated γδ T cells and miR-181a overexpression restricts their levels of NKG2D and TNF-α. Upon in silico analysis, we identify two miR-181a candidate targets, Map3k2 and Notch2, which we validate via overexpression coupled with luciferase assays. These results reveal a novel role for miR-181a as a critical regulator of human γδ T cell differentiation and highlight its potential for manipulation of γδ T cells in next-generation immunotherapies.