Study on the Mechanism of miR-125b-5p Affecting Melanocyte Biological Behavior and Melanogenesis in Vitiligo through Regulation of MITF.

OBJECTIVE

The goal was to confirm the mechanism by which miR-125b-5p influences melanocyte biological behavior and melanogenesis in vitiligo by regulating MITF.

METHODS

oe-MITF, sh-MITF, miR-125b-5p mimic, NC-mimic, NC-inhibitor, and miR-125b-5p inhibitor were transfected into cells by cell transfection. Western blotting was used to detect the related protein expression, qRT-PCR was used to detect miR-125b-5p and MITF expression, immunohistochemistry was used to detect the MITF-positive cells in vitiligo patients tissues, and a dual-luciferase reporter system was used to detect the target of miR-125b-5p and MITF. PIG1 and PIG3V cell proliferation by the CCK-8 method, cell cycle progression and apoptosis by flow cytometry, apoptosis was detected by TUNEL, Tyr activity and melanin content were measured using Tyr and melanin content assay kits.

RESULTS

Compared with the healthy control group, the expression of miR-125b-5p in the tissues and serum of vitiligo patients was upregulated, and the expression of MITF was downregulated; compared with PIG1 cells, the expression of miR-125b-5p and MITF in the PIG3V group was consistent with the above. Compared with the NC-minic group, the cell proliferation activity of the miR-125b-5p mimic group decreased, apoptosis increased, and the expression levels of melanogenesis-related proteins Tyr, Tyrp1, Tyrp2, and DCT were downregulated. Compared with the NC-inhibitor group, the above indices in the miR-125b-5p inhibitor group were all opposite to those in the miR-125b-5p mimic group. Transfection of oe-MITF into the miR-125b-5p mimic group reversed the effect of the miR-125b-5p mimic, while transfection of sh-MITF enhanced the effect of the miR-125b-5p mimic.

CONCLUSION

miR-125b-5p affects vitiligo melanocyte biological behavior and melanogenesis by downregulating MITF expression.