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07:07
Lung microRNA Profiling Across the Estrous Cycle in Ozone-exposed Mice
Published on: January 7, 2019
Comparative analysis of human and mouse expression data illuminates tissue-specific evolutionary patterns of miRNAs
Julien Roux1, Mar Gonzàlez-Porta, Marc Robinson-Rechavi
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Nucleic Acids Research
|March 30, 2012
Summary
This study reveals that microRNAs (miRNAs) evolve more frequently de novo than by duplication. Older miRNAs target fewer protein-coding genes but show increased expression, influenced by tissue-specific factors.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key gene regulators.
- Previous models of miRNA evolution lack validation due to limited comparative data.
- Understanding miRNA evolutionary patterns is crucial for gene regulation studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze miRNA evolutionary patterns in humans and mice.
- To validate existing models of miRNA evolution using comparative genomics.
- To investigate the relationship between miRNA age, expression, and target genes.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of miRNA families in human and mouse genomes.
- Correlation of miRNA age with gene duplication events and de novo emergence.
- Assessment of miRNA expression levels across different tissues and evolutionary time.
- Evaluation of biases in tag-sequencing techniques for expression breadth assessment.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that miRNAs arise more frequently de novo than by duplication.
- Observed a decrease in the number of targeted protein-coding genes with evolutionary time.
- Found that miRNA expression increases with evolutionary time, but this is tissue-dependent, especially low in embryonic/nervous tissues.
- Identified tag-sequencing bias leading to the finding of more tissue-specific expression in older miRNAs.
Conclusions:
- Refined models of miRNA gene evolution.
- Highlighted the significant role of tissue-specific selective forces in miRNA evolution.
- Suggested potential co-evolution patterns between miRNAs and their target protein-coding genes.
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