Differential expression of natural antisense transcripts during liver development in embryonic mice

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Liver development involves complex cellular interactions and gene regulation.
• Non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and natural antisense transcripts (NATs), are increasingly recognized for their roles in development.
• The functional transition of the liver from a hematopoietic to a metabolic organ during fetal stages is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gene expression changes of natural antisense transcripts (NATs) during liver development.
• To identify NATs that are differentially expressed as the liver transitions from a hematopoietic to a metabolic organ.
• To explore the potential regulatory roles of NATs in liver development.

Main Methods:

• Microarray analysis of liver tissues from embryonic day (E) 14, E17, E19, and newborn (NB) mice.
• Strand-specific reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for validating NAT expression.
• Comparative analysis of NAT expression levels across different developmental stages.

Main Results:

• Microarray analysis identified 87 upregulated and 26 downregulated NATs (>5.0-fold change) at E17, E19, or NB compared to E14.
• RT-qPCR validated increased NAT expression for genes involved in metabolic and synthesizing functions (e.g., Fga, Fgb, Fgg, F2, Apoa1, Fabp1, C3, Proc).
• RT-qPCR validated decreased NAT expression for genes involved in hematopoiesis (e.g., ERMAP, Tfrc).

Conclusions:

• Differential expression of several NATs occurs during liver development.
• NATs are potentially involved in regulating gene expression during the liver's functional conversion.
• These findings suggest NATs play a significant role in the developmental trajectory of the liver from a hematopoietic to a metabolic organ.