Suppression of AGO2 by miR-132 as a determinant of miRNA-mediated silencing in human primary endothelial cells.

The abundance of miR-132 ranges from constitutively high in the brain where it is necessary for neuronal development and function, to inducible expression in haematopoietic and endothelial cells where it controls angiogenesis and immune activation. We show that expression of AGO2, a protein central to miRNA-mediated gene silencing and miRNA biogenesis, is negatively regulated by miR-132. Using HeLa cells, we demonstrate that miR-132 interacts with the AGO2 mRNA 3'UTR and suppresses AGO2 expression and AGO2-dependent small RNA-mediated silencing.