The miR-126/VEGFR2 axis controls the innate response to pathogen-associated nucleic acids

microRNA-126 is a microRNA predominately expressed by endothelial cells and controls angiogenesis. Unexpectedly, we found that mice deficient in miR-126 have a major impairment in their innate response to pathogen-associated nucleic acids, as well as HIV, which results in more widespread cell infection. Further examination revealed that this was due to miR-126 control of plasmacytoid DC (pDC) homeostasis and function, and that miR-126 regulates expression of TLR7, TLR9, NFkB1 and other innate response genes, as well as VEGF-receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Deletion of VEGFR2 on DCs resulted in reduced interferon production, supporting a role for VEGFR2 in miR-126 regulation of pDCs. These studies identify the miR-126/VEGFR2 axis as an important regulator of the innate response that operates through multiscale control of pDCs.

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Agudo J, Ruzo A, Tung N, Salmon H, Leboeuf M, Hashimoto D, Becker C, Garrett-Sinha LA, Baccarini A, Merad M, Brown BD