miRNA Sensor HuR Compartmentalizes Ago2-Uncoupled miRNAs to Lipid Droplets to Buffer miRNA Activity in Mammalian...

miRNA activity must be optimized to ensure target gene expression in mammalian cells in response to specific needs. How and when miRNA activity is regulated remains an open question in gene expression, with limited information on how the cellular machinery senses miRNA levels to regulate miRNA expression and activity. Because miRNAs are stable molecules that can be reversibly used, the existence of a miRNA-sensing mechanism in mammalian cells has been anticipated. With ectopic expression of miRNAs in mammalian cells, we found a dose-dependent miRNA buffering mechanism in which miRNA export and its storage on lipid droplets are essential for miRNA activity optimization in mammalian cells. We found that the miRNA-binding protein HuR, known for its role in miRNA export, has a dual function in mammalian cells. HuR uncouples miRNAs from Ago2 to facilitate association of lipid droplets with Ago-uncoupled miRNAs, a process that gets augmented in cells with high lipid droplet content and restricted extracellular export. Thus, HuR acts as a miRNA sensor, and the optimal activity and abundance of HuR regulate miRNA storage on lipid droplets or its export, thereby maintaining cellular miRNA homeostasis and preventing the detrimental effects of excessive miRNA content in mammalian cells. Thus, targeting miRNA export or lipid droplet association is an important strategy for buffering cellular miRNA levels.