Secreted miR-34a in astrocytic shedding vesicles enhanced the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons to neurotoxins by targeting Bcl-2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that regulates target gene expression at posttranscriptional level, leading to further biological functions. We have demonstrated that microvesicles (MVs) can deliver miRNAs into target cells as a novel way of intercellular communication. It is reported that in central nervous system, glial cells release MVs, which modulate neuronal function in normal condition. To elucidate the potential role of glial MVs in disease, we evaluated the effects of secreted astrocytic MVs on stress condition. Our results demonstrated that after Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, astrocytes released shedding vesicles (SVs) that enhanced vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons to neurotoxin. Further investigation showed that increased astrocytic miR-34a in SVs was involved in this progress via targeting anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in dopaminergic neurons. We also found that inhibition of astrocytic miR-34a after LPS stimulation can postpone dopaminergic neuron loss under neurotoxin stress. These data revealed a novel mechanism underlying astrocyte-neuron interaction in disease. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13238-015-0168-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.