Role of microRNA in Oxidative Stress

Abstract

An imbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the reaction of antioxidant proteins is referred to as oxidative stress. NFE2L2/Nrf2, also known as nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2, is a critical enabler of cytoprotective responses to oxidative and electrophilic insults. When Nrf2 is activated, it triggers the transcription of numerous cytoprotective genes, whose promoter regions contain antioxidant response elements (AREs). In recent times, the regulation of Nrf2 by miRNAs has garnered significant attention, among the various mechanisms that govern Nrf2 signaling. It has been reported that a number of miRNAs directly suppress the expression of Nrf2s, which in turn negatively regulates the Nrf2-dependent cellular cytoprotective response. Furthermore, it has been shown that Nrf2 itself regulates miRs, which carry out some of Nrf2’s unique metabolic regulation functions. Here, we provide an overview of the functions and mechanisms of action of miRs as downstream effectors of Nrf2, as well as in their regulation of its activity.