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Published on: November 28, 2018
Expression Profiles and Biological Roles of miR-196a in Swine
Xiaomin Ning1, Shuai Liu2, Yang Qiu3
1Laboratory of Animal Fat Deposition and Muscle Development, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China. xmning@hotmail.com.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, which play important roles in animals by targeting mRNA transcripts for translational repression. Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are involved in regulation of adipocyte development. The expression of miR-196a in different porcine tissues and developing fat tissues was detected, and gene ontology (GO) term enrichment was then used to predict the expression profiles and potential biological roles of miR-196a in swine. To further verify the roles of miR-196a in porcine adipocyte development, a recombinant adenovirus encoding miR-196a gene (Ad-miR-196a) was constructed and used to study the effect of miR-196a on preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. Here, our data demonstrate that miR-196a displays a tissue-specific expression pattern and has comprehensive biological roles in swine, especially in adipose development. In addition, overexpression of miR-196a had no effect on preadipocyte proliferation, but induced preadipocyte differentiation by increasing expression of adipocyte specific markers, lipid accumulation and triglyceride content. These data represent the first demonstration of miR-196a expression profiles and roles in swine, thereby providing valuable insight into the functions of miR-196a in adipocyte biology.
Insights
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play roles in animal development. This study shows miR-196a promotes porcine adipocyte differentiation, offering insights into fat development regulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Animal Science
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression.
- miRNAs are implicated in adipocyte development and fat metabolism.
- Understanding miRNA roles is crucial for livestock development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression and function of miR-196a in porcine adipocyte development.
- To determine the effect of miR-196a on preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Detection of miR-196a expression in porcine tissues.
- Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis.
- Overexpression of miR-196a using a recombinant adenovirus (Ad-miR-196a) in preadipocytes.
- Assessment of preadipocyte proliferation, differentiation, lipid accumulation, and triglyceride content.
Main Results:
- miR-196a exhibits tissue-specific expression in swine, particularly in adipose tissue.
- Overexpression of miR-196a did not affect preadipocyte proliferation.
- miR-196a overexpression significantly induced preadipocyte differentiation, evidenced by increased adipocyte-specific markers, lipid accumulation, and triglyceride content.
Conclusions:
- miR-196a plays a significant role in porcine adipose development.
- miR-196a promotes adipocyte differentiation without impacting proliferation.
- This study provides novel insights into the function of miR-196a in adipocyte biology and fat deposition in swine.
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