gga-microRNA-375 negatively regulates the cell cycle and proliferation by targeting Yes-associated protein 1 in DF-1 cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve a key role in regulating the cell cycle and inducing tumorigenesis. Subgroup J of the avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) belongs to the family Retroviridae, subfamily Orthoretrovirinae and genus Alpharetrovirus that causes tumors in susceptible chickens. gga-miR-375 is downregulated and Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is upregulated in ALV-J-induced tumors in the livers of chickens, and it has been further identified that YAP1 is the direct target gene of gga-miR-375. In the present study, it was found that ALV-J infection promoted the cell cycle and proliferation in DF-1 cells. As the cell cycle and cell proliferation are closely associated with tumorigenesis, further experiments were performed to determine whether gga-miR-375 and YAP1 were involved in these cellular processes. It was demonstrated that gga-miR-375 significantly inhibited the cell cycle by inhibiting G(1) to S/G(2) stage transition and decreasing cell proliferation, while YAP1 significantly promoted the cell cycle and proliferation. Furthermore, these cellular processes in DF-1 cells were affected by gga-miR-375 through the targeting of YAP1. Collectively, the present results suggested that gga-miR-375, downregulated by ALV-J infection, negatively regulated the cell cycle and proliferation via the targeting of YAP1.