Radiation-induced response of micro RNA expression in murine embryonic stem cells

Despite the importance of embryonic stem cells in embryology and regenerative medicine, their response to DNA damage is not fully understood. Here we studied the expression profiles of small RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides long called micro RNAs, which play an important role in developmental regulation in plants and animals. We identified a group of micro RNAs with increased expression after exposure to radiation (compared with murine fibroblasts) and characterized putative target genes. These micro RNA sequences are conserved in mice, chickens and humans with similar genomic organizations, suggesting that a common regulatory network is involved in stem cell regulation in response to DNA damage. Micro RNAs might be useful as therapeutic tools to control DNA damage response in pluripotent stem cells.