Downregulation of the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter by Cancer-Related miR-25

SummaryThe recently discovered mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) promotes Ca2+ accumulation into the mitochondrial matrix [1 and 2]. We identified in silico miR-25 as a cancer-related MCU-targeting microRNA family and demonstrate that its overexpression in HeLa cells drastically reduces MCU levels and mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, while leaving other mitochondrial parameters and cytosolic Ca2+ signals unaffected. In human colon cancers and cancer-derived cells, miR-25 is overexpressed and MCU accordingly silenced. miR-25-dependent reduction of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake correlates with resistance to apoptotic challenges and can be reversed by anti-miR-25 overexpression. Overall, the data demonstrate that microRNA targeting of mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling favors cancer cell survival, thus providing mechanistic insight into the role of mitochondria in tumorigenesis and identifying a novel therapeutic target in neoplasia.

► miR-25 regulates intracellular calcium homeostasis
► Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a target of miR-25
► MCU plays a critical role in apoptosis and tumorigenesis
► MCU is downregulated in different cancer cell lines and in human colonic adenocarcinoma