Amyloid Beta 1-42 Alters the Expression of miRNAs in Cortical Neurons

Recently, Aβ1-42 was demonstrated to have the potential to translocate into the nucleus and to be involved in the transcriptional regulation of certain neurodegeneration-related genes. This data raises the question of whether Aβ-induced neurodegeneration might include the expression of miRNAs. Thus, our aim in this study was to investigate the effects of Aβ1-42 on certain miRNAs which are related with vitamin D metabolism, neuronal differentiation, development, and memory. This question was investigated in primary cortical neurons that were treated with 10 μM Aβ and/or 10^-8 M 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 at different time points by expression analysis of let-7a-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-27b-3p, miR-31a-5p, miR-125b-5p, and miR-192-5p with qRT-PCR. Our data indicate that amyloid pathology has effects on the expression of miRNAs. Furthermore, some of these miRNAs simultaneously regulate the proteins or the enzymes involved in neuronal metabolism. The experimental setup that we used and the data we acquired supply valuable information about the miRNAs that play a part in the Aβ pathology and suggested Aβ as a counterpart of vitamin D at the crossroads of neuronal differentiation, development, and memory.