The miR-29b-Sirt1 axis regulates self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells in response to reactive oxygen species.

Endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) control is important for the maintenance of self-renewal of embryonic stem (ES) cells. Although miRNAs have been found to be critically involved in the regulation of the self-renewal, whether miRNAs can regulate the signaling axis to control ROS in ES cells is unclear. Here we show that miR-29b specifically regulates the self-renewal of mouse ES cells in response to ROS generated by antioxidant-free culture. Sirt1 is the direct target of miR-29b and can also make mES cells sensitive to ROS and regulate the self-renewal of mES cells during the response of ROS. We further found that Sirt1 could attenuate the miR-29b function in regulating mES cells' self-renewal in response to ROS. Our results determined that miR-29b-Sirt1 axis regulates self-renewal of mES cells in response to ROS.