Table 1 List of TECs-associated miRNAs

miR-205-5p

Up

Fa2h/AP-2α, Foxn1

Wnt

miR-205-5p could block cell cycle and interrupt the proliferation of TECs

[70]

miR-199b-5p

Up

Fzd6/c-myc

Wnt

miR-199b-5p could enhance the proliferation of the mTECs through directly targeting the frizzled receptor 6 (Fzd6)

[71]

miR-183-5p

miR-200b-3p

Up

Meis1

–

miR-183 and miR-200b could regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of postnatal TECs

[72]

miR-155

Down

–

TGF-β

miR-155 could facilitate the maturation of mTECs via modulating the TGF-β signaling pathway

[75]

miR-146a-5p

Down

TRAF6

NF-κB

Overexpression of miR-146a-5p could alleviate the cell cycle arrest and suppress the senescence process via downregulated the TRAF6 protein levels

[77]

miR-195a-5p

Up

Smad7

TGF-β

miR-195a-5p could hamper the proliferation of mTECs by directly targeting Smad7 that negatively regulating the TGF-β signaling pathway

[78]

miR-181a-5p

Down

YY1, Smad3, c-myc

TGF-β/NF-κB

miR-181a-5p could regulate the proliferation of mTECs in vitro possibly by the phosphorylation of Smad3 which plays a key role in the TGF-β signaling

[80]

miR-181b-5p

Down

Tnc, Lgals3bp, Lgals9, Cd47

–

miR-181b-5p could impact the adhesion process between mTECs and single-positive CD4 and CD8 thymocytes and repress the surface marker expression of CD80 in mTECs

[38]

miR-449a

–

SATB2

–

miR-449a can prompt TEPC differentiation and mature into mTECs in vitro by targeting the epigenetic regulator Satb2

[39]

miR-125a-5p

Up

Foxn1

–

miR-125a-5p mimics have a fine-tuning role for suppression expression of Foxn1 in murine TECs Z210 cells via directly target 3’UTR of Foxn1

[89]