@article{J. Luis Espinoza_Akiyoshi Takami_Katsuji Yoshioka_Katsuya Nakata_Tokiharu Sato_Yoshihito Kasahara_Shinji Nakao_2012, place={Pavia, Italy}, title={Human microRNA-1245 down-regulates the NKG2D receptor in natural killer cells and impairs NKG2D-mediated functions}, volume={97}, url={https://haematologica.org/article/view/6398}, DOI={10.3324/haematol.2011.058529}, abstractNote={<strong>Background</strong> NKG2D is an activating receptor expressed by natural killer and T cells, which have crucial functions in tumor and microbial immunosurveillance. Several cytokines have been identified as modulators of NKG2D receptor expression. However, little is known about <em>NKG2D</em> gene regulation. In this study, we found that microRNA 1245 attenuated the expression of NKG2D in natural killer cells.<strong>Design and Methods</strong> We investigated the potential interactions between the 3′-untranslated region of the <em>NKG2D</em> gene and microRNA as well as their functional roles in the regulation of NKG2D expression and cytotoxicity in natural killer cells.<strong>Results</strong> Transforming growth factor-β1, a major negative regulator of NKG2D expression, post-transcriptionally up-regulated mature microRNA-1245 expression, thus down-regulating NKG2D expression and impairing NKG2D-mediated immune responses in natural killer cells. Conversely, microRNA-1245 down-regulation significantly increased the expression of NKG2D expression in natural killer cells, resulting in more efficient NKG2D-mediated cytotoxicity.<strong>Conclusions</strong&gt; These results reveal a novel NKG2D regulatory pathway mediated by microRNA-1245, which may represent one of the mechanisms used by transforming growth factor-β1 to attenuate NKG2D expression in natural killer cells.}, number={9}, journal={Haematologica}, author={J. Luis Espinoza and Akiyoshi Takami and Katsuji Yoshioka and Katsuya Nakata and Tokiharu Sato and Yoshihito Kasahara and Shinji Nakao}, year={2012}, month={Sep.}, pages={1295-1303} }