Cutting edge: microRNA regulation of macrophage fusion into multinucleated giant cells

Cellular fusion of macrophages into multinucleated giant cells is a distinguishing feature of the granulomatous response to inflammation, infection, and foreign bodies (Kawai and Akira. 2011. Immunity 34: 637-650). We observed a marked increase in fusion of macrophages genetically deficient in Dicer, an enzyme required for canonical microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. Gene expression profiling of miRNA-deficient macrophages revealed an upregulation of the IL-4-responsive fusion protein Tm7sf4, and analyses identified miR-7a-1 as a negative regulator of macrophage fusion, functioning by directly targeting Tm7sf4 mRNA. miR-7a-1 is itself an IL-4-responsive gene in macrophages, suggesting feedback control of cellular fusion. Collectively, these data indicate that miR-7a-1 functions to regulate IL-4-directed multinucleated giant cell formation.