Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most professional antigen-presenting cells, which undergo a hallmark transition from an immature to a mature state. DCs release high levels of exosomes (DCEs), containing miRNAs, which orchestrate their tolerogenic or immunogenic functions. This study aimed to identify the exosomes-shuttle miRNAs that are differentially expressed between the mature and immature states of DCs, and to assign functional enrichments to the targets of these miRNAs. A GEO data series comparing miRNA expression in mature and immature DCEs was analyzed and all miRNAs significantly dysregulated between mature and immature states of DCEs were identified. The interactions and targets were mapped separately for the upregulated and down-regulated miRNAs, and interaction networks and functional enrichments of the targets were generated and visualized. 24 miRNAs were found upregulated and 19 miRNAs were found down-regulated in the exosomes of mature DCs over exosomes of immature DCs with 1949 and 1186 targets involved in 131 and 32 pathways, respectively. Further, the functional enrichment of the targets revealed miRNA-targeted changes in expression of biomolecules involved in cytoskeletal remodeling and energy metabolism as key maturation-dependent processes. The results present salient miRNA signatures for identifying DC maturation state and uncover miRNA targets that may serve as therapeutic options in the treatment of various immune dysfunctions.