Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
10:40
CRISPR Gene Editing Tool for MicroRNA Cluster Network Analysis
Published on: April 25, 2022
Twist-1 regulates the miR-199a/214 cluster during development
Youn-Bok Lee1, Ioannis Bantounas, Do-Young Lee
1The Henry-Wellcome Laboratories for Integrated Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Nucleic Acids Research
|November 26, 2008
Summary
Transcription factor Twist-1 regulates microRNA expression. This study reveals Twist-1 controls miR-199a/214 cluster expression, impacting neural cell development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of biological processes, yet their precise regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood.
- The transcription factor Twist-1 plays a role in development, but its direct targets and regulatory functions are still being investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism by which Twist-1 regulates miRNA expression during development.
- To identify specific miRNAs controlled by Twist-1 and their potential roles in developmental pathways.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the relationship between Twist-1 and noncoding RNA expression using shRNA knockdown.
- Analyzed the binding of Twist-1 to promoter regions using E-box motif identification.
- Examined the expression patterns of Twist-1, HIF-1, miR-199a, and miR-214 in mouse embryos.
Main Results:
- Twist-1 directly drives the expression of a 7.9-kb noncoding RNA transcript encoding the miR-199a/214 cluster.
- Knockdown of Twist-1 led to decreased levels of miR-199a/214.
- Twist-1 binds to an E-box promoter motif to regulate miRNA expression developmentally.
- Expression of HIF-1, miR-199a, and miR-214 peaked at E12.5 and was localized to specific embryonic tissues, including the brain and limb buds.
Conclusions:
- The expression of the miR199a/214 cluster is transcriptionally controlled by Twist-1 via an E-box promoter element.
- These miRNAs act as novel intermediates in developmental pathways, particularly in the development of specific neural cell populations.
Related Concept Videos
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
01:23Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps
The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...
02:15M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
02:15M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...