Aldosterone-induced microRNAs act as feedback regulators of mineralocorticoid receptor signaling in kidney epithelia.

The final steps in the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone signaling System (RAAS) involve binding of the corticosteroid hormone, aldosterone to its mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). The bound MR interacts with response elements to induce or repress the transcription of aldosterone-regulated genes. A well characterized aldosterone-induced gene is the serum and glucocorticoid-induced kinase (SGK1), which acts downstream to increase sodium transport in distal kidney nephron epithelial cells. The role of microRNAs (miRs) induced by extended aldosterone stimulation in regulating MR and SGK1 has not been reported. In these studies, miRs predicted to bind to the 3'-UTR of mouse MR were profiled by qRT-PCR after aldosterone stimulation. The miR-466a/b/c/e family was upregulated in mouse kidney cortical collecting duct epithelial cells. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed miR-466 binding to both MR and SGK1 3'-UTRs. Inhibition of miR-466 increased MR and SGK1 mRNA and protein levels. Inhibiting miR-466b and preventing its upregulation after aldosterone stimulation increased amiloride-sensitive sodium transport and sensitivity to aldosterone stimulation. In vivo upregulation of miR-466 was confirmed in distal nephrons of mice on low Na+ diets. Repression of MR and SGK1 by aldosterone-induced miRs may represent a negative feedback loop that contributes to a form of aldosterone escape in vivo.