Conclusions
Our study uncovers a new function of Airn and demonstrates that Airn is important for the physiology of cardiomyocytes.
Objective
Here, we studied the functions of Airn in the heart, especially cardiomyocytes.
Results
Silencing of Airn via siRNAs augmented cell death, vulnerability to cellular stress, and reduced cell migration. To find the cause of such phenotypes, the potential binding partners of Airn were identified via RNA pull-down followed by mass spectrometry, which indicated Igf2bp2 (insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2) and Rpa1 (replication protein A1) as potential binding partners. Further experiments showed that Airn binds to Igf2bp2 to control the translation of several genes. Moreover, silencing of Airn caused less binding of Igf2bp2 to other mRNAs and reduced translation of Igf2bp2 protein. Conclusions: Our study uncovers a new function of Airn and demonstrates that Airn is important for the physiology of cardiomyocytes.