Alteration of miRNA profiles by ionizing radiation in A549 human non-small cell lung cancer cells

Ionizing radiation (IR) is widely used in cancer treatment and in biological studies. It disrupts cellular homeostasis through multiple mechanisms including changes of the expression profile of genes. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been recognized as important post-transcriptional regulators and are involved in various biological processes, whether miRNAs play any roles in the cellular response to IR, is not well examined. We investigated the profile of miRNA expression following IR in the human lung carcinoma cell line A549, and the expression profiles of IR-responsive miRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. The target mRNAs of IR-responsive miRNAs were predicted with a target prediction tool. Microarray analysis identified 12 and 18 miRNAs in 20- and 40 Gy-exposed A549 cells, respectively, that exhibited more than 2-fold changes in their expression levels. Of these, four were changed in only 20-Gy-treated cells, ten only in 40-Gy-treated cells, and eight miRNAs were found to change after both treatments. qRT-PCR analysis of a subset of the miRNAs showed patterns of regulation as the microarray data, although the magnitude of the changes differed in the two data sets. Target prediction for IR-responsive miRNAs suggests that they target genes related to apoptosis, regulation of cell cycle, and DNA damage and repair. Taken together, these data suggest that miRNA expression is affected by radiation, and they may be involved in the regulation of radiation responses.