c-Myb oncoprotein is an essential target of the dleu2 tumor suppressor microRNA cluster

The dleu2 tumor suppressor locus encodes two microRNAs, miR-15a and miR-16, which are thought to play an important role in B-cell neoplasms. However, relatively little is known about proteins that regulate or are regulated by this microRNA cluster. Here we demonstrate that the Pax5 oncoprotein downregulates the dleu2 gene and at the same time boosts expression of its own heterodimeric partner c-Myb. Interestingly, c-Myb upregulation occurs primarily at a post-transcriptional level, suggesting that it might be a target for microRNAs such as miR-15a/16. Indeed, miR-15a/16 have predicted binding sites in the c-Myb 3'-UTR and through them diminish protein output in luciferase sensor assays. Moreover, forced overexpression of miR-15a/16 reduces endogenous c-Myb levels and compromises Pax5 function. Conversely, restoration of c-Myb levels partly alleviates tumors suppressive effects of miR-15a/16, suggesting that c-Myb is a key downstream target of this microRNA cluster.