MiR-33a-5p targets NOMO1 to modulate human cardiomyocyte progenitor cells proliferation and differentiation and apoptosis.

MicroRNA (miRNA) is known to be involved in the pathological process of congenital heart disease (CHD), and nodal modulator1 (NOMO1) is a critical determinant of heart formation. The present study aims to discover the effect of miR-33a-5p and NOMO1 on CHD. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect expressions of miR-33a-5p mimic or inhibitor and overexpressed NOMO1 plasmid orNOMO1 knockdown. Human cardiomyocyte progenitor cells (hCMPCs) proliferation was measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) at 24, 48 and 72 h. Flow cytometry was applied to investigate hCMPCs cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Expressions of cell apoptotic proteins Bax, Cleaved(C) caspase-3 and Bcl-2, and expressions of cardiomyocyte differentiation markers GATA4, troponin T (cTnT) and myocyte enhancer factor2C (MEF2C) in hCMPCs were identified by qRT-PCR and western blot. Target genes and potential binding sites of NOMO1 and miR-33a-5p were predicted with Targetscan 7.2, and was confirmed through dual-luciferase reporter assay. Up-regulation of miR-33a-5p inhibited hCMPCs proliferation, cell cycle G0/S transition but promoted hCMPCs apoptosis, which was partially mitigated by overexpressed NOMO1. NOMO1 was the target gene of miR-33a-5p. Expressions of Bax and C caspase-3 were enhanced but expressions of Bcl-2, GATA4, cTnT and MEF2C were reduced by up-regulation of miR-33a-5p, which was partially mitigated by overexpressed NOMO1. Up-regulation of miR-33a-5p inhibited hCMPCs proliferation, cell cycle G0/S transition and differentiation into cardiomyocytes but promoted apoptosis via targeting NOMO1.