MicroRNA-155 Suppresses Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase-Mediated Myc-Igh Translocation

SummaryMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate vast networks of genes that share miRNA target sequences. To examine the physiologic effects of an individual miRNA-mRNA interaction in vivo, we generated mice that carry a mutation in the putative microRNA-155 (miR-155) binding site in the 3′-untranslated region of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), designated Aicda155 mice. AID is required for immunoglobulin gene diversification in B lymphocytes, but it also promotes chromosomal translocations. Aicda155 caused an increase in steady-state Aicda mRNA and protein amounts by increasing the half-life of the mRNA, resulting in a high degree of Myc-Igh translocations. A similar but more pronounced translocation phenotype was also found in miR-155-deficient mice. Our experiments indicate that miR-155 can act as a tumor suppressor by reducing potentially oncogenic translocations generated by AID.