TY - JOUR SP - 251 TI - Genome-Wide Posttranscriptional Dysregulation by MicroRNAs in Human Asthma as Revealed by Frac-seq SN - 1550-6606 Y1 - 2018/07/01/ UR - http://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1701798 VL - 201 A1 - Martinez-Nunez, RT A1 - Rupani, H A1 - Platé, M A1 - Niranjan, M A1 - Chambers, RC A1 - Howarth, PH A1 - Sanchez-Elsner, T EP - 263 JF - The Journal of Immunology AV - restricted N2 - MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that inhibit gene expression posttranscriptionally, implicated in virtually all biological processes. Although the effect of individual microRNAs is generally studied, the genome-wide role of multiple microRNAs is less investigated. We assessed paired genome-wide expression of microRNAs with total (cytoplasmic) and translational (polyribosome-bound) mRNA levels employing subcellular fractionation and RNA sequencing (Frac-seq) in human primary bronchoepithelium from healthy controls and severe asthmatics. Severe asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by poor response to therapy. We found genes (i.e., isoforms of a gene) and mRNA isoforms differentially expressed in asthma, with novel inflammatory and structural pathophysiological mechanisms related to bronchoepithelium disclosed solely by polyribosome-bound mRNAs (e.g., IL1A and LTB genes or ITGA6 and ITGA2 alternatively spliced isoforms). Gene expression (i.e., isoforms of a gene) and mRNA expression analysis revealed different molecular candidates and biological pathways, with differentially expressed polyribosome-bound and total mRNAs also showing little overlap. We reveal a hub of six dysregulated microRNAs accounting for ?90% of all microRNA targeting, displaying preference for polyribosome-bound mRNAs. Transfection of this hub in bronchial epithelial cells from healthy donors mimicked asthma characteristics. Our work demonstrates extensive posttranscriptional gene dysregulation in human asthma, in which microRNAs play a central role, illustrating the feasibility and importance of assessing posttranscriptional gene expression when investigating human disease. ID - discovery10052362 IS - 1 ER -