AKT-ing via microRNA

MicroRNAs are involved in almost every aspect of a mammalian cell's functionality, from stem cell differentiation to aging and pathogenesis; however, their role in immediate cell signaling is less defined. This has been recently demonstrated by the rapid increase or decrease of miR-21's abundance within minutes of activation or inhibition of the AKT pathway, respectively, which mediates its regulation of Fas ligand (FasL) and phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression, among other targets. Conversely, AKT induces rapid downregulation of miR-199a-5p to effect upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α Hif-1α and sirtuin 1 (Sirt1). This suggests that posttranscriptional mechanisms regulate miRNAs' processing and/or stability to induce the rapid fluctuation in their levels. In support, a growing number of studies are showing specific posttranscriptional regulation of miRNAs. The data potentially explain how AKT, and plausibly other signaling pathways, can specifically and promptly modulate a gene's translation while circumventing the need for transcription during transient signaling events. In this article we present our views regarding cell signaling via miRNAs.