MiR-144 modulates cellular response to oxidative stress. (A) Western blot analysis of NRF2 protein levels after the overexpression of miR-144 and miR-142-5p in K562 cells and H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. (B) MiR-144 overexpression leads to significantly increased sensitivity to oxidative stress at indicated concentrations of H₂O₂ as measured by MTS assay. Each curve represents the indicated sample relative to its unstressed (baseline) control. (C) MiR-144–mediated sensitivity to H₂O₂ oxidative stress is partially rescued by NRF2 overexpression. (D) ELISA analysis of baseline NRF2 protein levels in primary erythroid cells after miR-144 overexpression compared with vector control. NRF2 overexpression is shown as a positive control. (E) ELISA analysis of NRF2 protein levels demonstrates decreased NRF2 levels after H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in the miR-144 transfected primary erythroid cells compared with vector control. (F) MiR-144–mediated sensitivity to H₂O₂ oxidative stress is fully rescued by NRF2 overexpression without its 3′UTR. *Significantly different by Student t test: *P ≤ .05.