MicroRNA-223 reversibly regulates erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to modulate a variety of cellular events. Several studies have revealed the functions of miR-223 in granulopoiesis. Here we analysed miR-223 expression in various human tissues, blood and leukaemia cells, and focused on its role in K562 erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation. MiR-223 was detected not only in granulocytes but also in erythroid cells. In K562 cells, expression of miR-223 was down-regulated during haemin-induced erythroid differentiation but up-regulated during phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced megakaryocytic differentiation. The overexpression of miR-223 resulted in significant decrease of gamma-globin mRNA and the fraction of benzidine-positive cells in K562 cells, suggesting a suppressive effect of miR-223 on erythroid differentiation. Peaks corresponding to 4N cells in stable transfectants overexpressing miR-223 were higher than that in control K562 cells during megakaryocytic differentiation, indicating that miR-223 increases megakaryocytic differentiation. The expression of LIM domain only 2 (LMO2) reporter was suppressed in NIH-3T3 when the expression of miR-223 was enforced by both the luciferase and fluorescence system. Furthermore, LMO2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased in stable K562 transfectants overexpressing miR-223. These results indicate that LMO2 is a direct target of miR-223. Thus, our results suggest that miR-223 reversibly regulates erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 cells via down-modulation of LMO2.