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Updated: May 21, 2026

Evaluation of Planar-Cell-Polarity Phenotypes in Ciliopathy Mouse Mutant Cochlea
Published on: February 21, 2016
miR-129-3p controls cilia assembly by regulating CP110 and actin dynamics
Jingli Cao1, Yidong Shen, Lei Zhu
1State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
MicroRNA-129-3p (miR-129-3p) orchestrates cilia formation by regulating centriole protein CP110 and actin dynamics. This microRNA is crucial for cilia biogenesis and normal embryonic development.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Cilia formation (ciliogenesis) depends on removing CP110 from the mother centriole.
- Actin dynamics influence ciliation by affecting centrosomal vesicle accumulation.
- The regulation of these distinct processes remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of microRNA-129-3p (miR-129-3p) in regulating ciliogenesis.
- To identify the molecular targets of miR-129-3p involved in cilia assembly.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cultured cells and zebrafish embryos for experimental studies.
- Performed gene expression analysis to identify miR-129-3p targets.
- Manipulated miR-129-3p levels through inhibition and overexpression.
Main Results:
- miR-129-3p downregulation of CP110 and repression of F-actin formation promote cilia biogenesis.
- miR-129-3p inhibition impairs serum-starvation-induced ciliogenesis.
- Overexpression of miR-129-3p induces ciliation and promotes cilia elongation in proliferating cells.
- Identified ARP2, TOCA1, ABLIM1, and ABLIM3 as miR-129-3p targets involved in actin dynamics.
- miR-129-3p inhibition in zebrafish causes developmental defects and impaired ciliation.
Conclusions:
- miR-129-3p acts as a key regulator of cilia biogenesis.
- This microRNA coordinates the centriole-to-basal body transition and cilia assembly.
- miR-129-3p plays a vital role in embryonic development through post-transcriptional regulation.
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