Biological role of MicroRNA-103 based on expression profile and target genes analysis in pigs

• Published in: Molecular biology reports 2011-10, Vol.38 (7), p.4777-4786
• Main Authors: Li, Guoxi, Wu, Zongsong, Li, Xinjian, Ning, Xiaomin, Li, Yanjie, Yang, Gongshe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Adipocytes - cytology; Adipocytes - drug effects; Adipocytes - metabolism; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Animals; Biomarkers - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brain; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cellular biology; Cytoskeletal Proteins - genetics; Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism; Data processing; Differentiation; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Hematopoiesis - drug effects; Hematopoiesis - genetics; Hemopoiesis; Histology; Hogs; Immunity; Immunity - genetics; Life Sciences; Lipid metabolism; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; Lipid Metabolism - genetics; Male; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; Molecular biology; Morphology; Nervous System - drug effects; Nervous System - growth & development; Nucleotides; Organ Specificity - drug effects; Organ Specificity - genetics; Preadipocytes; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Antisense - pharmacology; Sus scrofa - genetics; Time Factors; Tissues; Translation
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-010-0615-z

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously expressed RNAs consisting of 20–24 nucleotides. These molecules are thought to repress protein translation by binding to target mRNAs. However, biological functions have not been assigned to most of the 175 porcine miRNAs registered in miRBase (release 15.0). In an effort to uncover miR-103 important in pigs, we examined the integrative tissue expression profile and gene ontology (GO) term enrichment of predicted target genes to determine the global biological functions of miR-103. Our results demonstrated that miR-103 is involved in various biological processes including brain development, lipid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation, hematopoiesis, and immunity. Moreover, we also experimentally verified effects of miR-103 in porcine preadipocytes. miR-103 levels increased in differentiating adipocytes, and inhibition of miR-103 effectively inhibited preadipocyte differentiation. In addition, mRNA levels of the putative miR-103 target RAI14 were higher in miR-103 inhibitor-treated adipocytes. These results demonstrate that miR-103 is involved in porcine preadipocyte differentiation and may act through the putative target gene RAI14 . In a word, our data provide new insights into the global biological role of miR-103.