Expression of miR-146a, Dicer, and Drosha in lung infection

Community-acquired pneumonia is the leading cause of death due to infectious diseases worldwide. The most common pathogenic agent is Streptococcus pneumoniae. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding regulatory RNAs. Recent studies imply that miRNAs play an important role in host-pathogen interactions (e.g. miR-146a). miR-146a is known to be upregulated by proinflammatory activation, e.g. cytokines (IL-1ß) or microbial products (LPS). It was further shown to act in the inflammatory response through a negative feedback mechanism in the Toll-like receptor -MyD88 pathway. The endoribonuclease Dicer and the RNAse III…