Control of Cytokine mRNA Expression by RNA-binding Proteins and microRNAs

Cytokines are critical mediators of inflammation and host defenses. Regulation of cytokines can occur at various stages of gene expression, including transcription, mRNA export, and post-transcriptional and translational levels. Among these modes of regulation, post-transcriptional regulation has been shown to play a vital role in controlling the expression of cytokines by modulating mRNA stability. The stability of cytokine mRNAs, including TNF alpha, IL-6, and IL-8, has been reported to be altered by the presence of AU-rich elements (AREs) located in the 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of the mRNAs. Numerous RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs bind to these 3'UTRs to regulate the stability and/or translation of the mRNAs. Thus, this paper describes the cooperative function between RNA-binding proteins and miRNAs and how they regulate AU-rich elements containing cytokine mRNA stability/degradation and translation. These mRNA control mechanisms can potentially influence inflammation as it relates to oral biology, including periodontal diseases and oral pharyngeal cancer progression.