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Published on: September 15, 2018
MicroRNA expression profiling of the porcine developing hypothalamus and pituitary tissue
Lifan Zhang1, Zhaowei Cai, Shengjuan Wei
1College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. nyxu@zju.edu.cn.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, play important roles in gene expressions at transcriptional and post-transcriptional stages in mammalian brain. So far, a growing number of porcine miRNAs and their function have been identified, but little is known regarding the porcine developing hypothalamus and pituitary. In the present study, Solexa sequencing analysis showed 14,129,397 yielded reads, 6,680,678 of which were related to 674 unique miRNAs. After a microarray assay, we detected 175 unique miRNAs in the hypothalamus, including 136 previously known miRNAs and 39 novel candidates, while a total of 140 miRNAs, including 104 known and 36 new candidate miRNAs, were discovered in pituitary. More importantly, 37 and 30 differentially expressed miRNAs from several developmental stages of hypothalamus and pituitary were revealed, respectively. The 37 differentially expressed miRNAs in hypothalamus represented 6 different expression patterns, while the 30 differentially expressed miRNAs in pituitary represented 7 different expression patterns. To clarify potential target genes and specific functions of these differentially expressed miRNAs in hypothalamus and pituitary, TargetScan and Gorilla prediction tools were then applied. The current functional analysis showed that the differentially expressed miRNAs in hypothalamus and pituitary shared many biological processes, with the main differences being found in tissue-specific processes including: CDP-diacylglycerol biosynthetic/metabolic process; phosphatidic acid biosynthetic/metabolic process; energy reserve metabolic process for hypothalamus; adult behavior; sterol transport/homeostasis; and cholesterol/reverse cholesterol transport for pituitary. Overall, this study identified miRNA profiles and differentially expressed miRNAs among various developmental stages in hypothalamus and pituitary and indicated miRNA profiles change with age and brain location, enhancing our knowledge about spatial and temporal expressions of miRNAs in the porcine developing brain.
Insights
This study reveals microRNA (miRNA) profiles in the developing porcine hypothalamus and pituitary. It identifies differentially expressed miRNAs and their tissue-specific functions, showing changes with age and brain location.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression in the mammalian brain.
- Limited information exists on miRNA roles in the developing porcine hypothalamus and pituitary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify miRNA profiles in the developing porcine hypothalamus and pituitary.
- To detect differentially expressed miRNAs across developmental stages.
- To elucidate the functions of these miRNAs in brain development.
Main Methods:
- Solexa sequencing and microarray assays were used to identify known and novel miRNAs.
- Differential expression analysis was performed across developmental stages.
- Bioinformatic tools (TargetScan, Gorilla) predicted miRNA target genes and functions.
Main Results:
- 674 unique miRNAs were identified, with 175 in the hypothalamus and 140 in the pituitary.
- 37 and 30 differentially expressed miRNAs were found in the hypothalamus and pituitary, respectively.
- Hypothalamus-specific functions included metabolic processes, while pituitary-specific functions involved behavior and sterol transport.
Conclusions:
- This study provides comprehensive miRNA profiles for the developing porcine hypothalamus and pituitary.
- Differentially expressed miRNAs show distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns.
- These findings enhance understanding of miRNA involvement in brain development and function.
