Ephrin-B1 reverse signaling controls a posttranscriptional feedback mechanism via miR-124

Eph receptors and ephrins exhibit complex and highly dynamic expression patterns during embryonic development. In addition, changes in their expression levels are often associated with pathological situations in adults. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms regulating their expression. Here we report that the expression of ephrin-B1 is controlled by a feedback loop involving posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms. We observed that the EfnB1 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) confers instability to mRNA transcripts, and we identified miR-124 as a posttranscriptional repressor of EfnB1 expression. Furthermore, we showed that miR-124 is itself regulated by ephrin-B1 reverse signaling, thus revealing the existence of a mutually repressive interaction between ephrin-B1 and this microRNA (miRNA). Lastly, we demonstrated the relevance of this mutual inhibition for neuronal differentiation. Our results suggest that miRNAs could be important effectors of Eph/ephrin signaling to refine domains of expression and to regulate function.