MicroRNA control of podosome formation in vascular smooth muscle cells in vivo and in vitro

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) plasticity plays an important role during development and in vascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. It was recently shown that down-regulation of microRNA (miR)-143 and -145, which are coexpressed from a single promoter, regulates the switch from contractile to synthetic phenotype, allowing SMCs to migrate and proliferate. We show in this study that loss of miR-143/145 in vitro and in vivo results in the formation of podosomes, which are actin-rich membrane protrusions involved in the migration of several cell types, including SMCs. We further show that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) mediates podosome formation in SMCs through the regulation of miR-143/145 expression via a pathway involving Src and p53. Moreover, we identify key podosome regulators as targets of miR-143 (PDGF receptor alpha and protein kinase C epsilon) and miR-145 (fascin). Thus, dysregulation of the miR-143 and -145 genes is causally involved in the aberrant SMC plasticity encountered during vascular disease, in part through the up-regulation of an autoregulatory loop that promotes podosome formation.