miR-545 promoted enterovirus 71 replication via directly targeting phosphatase and tensin homolog and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a small, nonenveloped icosahedral RNA virus and is the predominant causative pathogen of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) are reported to play important roles in the pathogenesis of EV71 replication. This study investigated the role of miR-545 in the EV71 replication and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. We showed that miR-545 was upregulated in the EV71-infected human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Overexpression of miR-545 promoted the viral replication of EV71 and attenuated the inhibitory effects of EV71 on cell viability in HEK293 and RD cells; while knockdown of miR-545 significantly suppressed the EV71 replication in these two cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-545 directly targeted the 3′untranslated region of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in HEK293 cells. Furthermore, miR-545 negatively regulated the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of PTEN and TRAF6. The mRNA and protein expression of PTEN and TRAF6 was also suppressed by EV71 infection, which was attenuated by miR-545 knockdown in HEK293 cells. Overexpression of PTEN and TRAF6 both suppressed the EV71 replication in HKE293 cells, and also attenuated the enhanced effects of miR-545 overexpression on the EV71 replication in HEK293 cells. Collectively, our study for the first time showed that miR-545 had an enhanced effect on the EV71 replication in HEK293 and RD cells. Further mechanistic results indicated that miR-545 promoted EV71 replication at least partly via targeting PTEN and TRAF6.