A transgenic mouse expressing miR-210 in proximal tubule cells shows mitochondrial alteration: possible association of miR-210 with a shift in energy metabolism.

Previously we reported that the microRNA miR-210 is aberrantly upregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) via deregulation of the VHL-HIF pathway. In the present study, to investigate the biological impact of miR-210 in ccRCC tumorigenesis, we developed a transgenic mouse line expressing miR-210 in proximal tubule cells under control of the mouse SGLT2/Slc5a2 promoter. Light microscopy revealed desquamation of the tubule cells and regeneration of the proximal tubule, suggesting that miR-210 expression led to damage of the proximal tubule cells. Electron microscopy revealed alterations to the mitochondria in proximal tubule cells, with marked reduction of the mitochondrial inner membrane, which is the main site of ATP production via oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). An additional in vitro study revealed that this loss of the inner membrane was associated with downregulation of Iscu and Ndufa4, the target genes of miR-210, suggesting that the miR-210-ISCU/NDUFA4 axis may affect mitochondrial energy metabolism. Furthermore, metabolome analysis revealed activation of anaerobic glycolysis in miR-210-transfected cells, and consistent with this the secretion of lactate, the final metabolite of anaerobic glycolysis, was significantly increased. Lactate concentration was higher in the kidney cortex of transgenic mice relative to wild-type mice, although the difference was not significant (p = 0.070). On the basis of these findings, we propose that miR-210 may induce a shift of energy metabolism from OxPhos to glycolysis by acting on the mitochondrial inner membrane. In addition to activation of glycolysis, we observed activation of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and an increase in the total amount of amino acids in miR-210-transfected cells. This may help cells synthesize nucleotides and proteins for building new cells. These results suggest that miR-210 may be involved in the metabolic changes in the early stage of ccRCC development, helping the cancer cells to acquire growth and survival advantages. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.