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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Author Spotlight: Insights and Innovations in Gene Expression Manipulation Techniques for Choroid Plexus Research
Published on: June 16, 2023
MiR-20a regulates the PRKG1 gene by targeting its coding region in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells
Yan Zeng1, Yanping Pan2, Hongtai Liu2
1Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Abstract:
Chronic hypoxia triggers pulmonary vascular remodeling, which is associated with de-differentiation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Here, we show that miR-20a expression is up-regulated in response to hypoxia in both mouse and human PASMC. We also observed that miR-20a represses the protein kinase, cGMP-dependent, type I (PRKG1) gene and we identified two crucial miR-20a binding sites within the coding region of PRKG1. Functional studies showed that miR-20a promotes the proliferation and migration of human PASMC, whereas it inhibits their differentiation. In summary, we provided a possible mechanism by which hypoxia results in decreased PRKG1 expression and in the phenotypic switching of PASMC.
