Global microRNA Expression Profiling of Caenorhabditis elegans Parkinson's Disease Models

• Published in: Journal of molecular neuroscience 2010-05, Vol.41 (1), p.210-218
• Main Authors: Asikainen, Suvi, Rudgalvyte, Martina, Heikkinen, Liisa, Louhiranta, Kristiina, Lakso, Merja, Wong, Garry, Nass, Richard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; Catecholamines; Cell Biology; Development; Disease Models, Animal; DNA microarrays; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; Molecular modelling; Movement disorders; Mutation; Nervous system; Neurochemistry; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurology; Neurosciences; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis - methods; Parkin protein; Parkinson Disease - genetics; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Proteomics; Synuclein
• ISSN: 0895-8696; 1559-1166
• DOI: 10.1007/s12031-009-9325-1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in human brain development and maintenance. To search for miRNAs that may be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinsons disease (PD), we utilized miRNA microarrays to identify potential gene expression changes in 115 annotated miRNAs in PD-associated Caenorhabditis elegans models that either overexpress human A53T α-synuclein or have mutations within the vesicular catecholamine transporter ( cat-1 ) or parkin ( pdr-1 ) ortholog. Here, we show that 12 specific miRNAs are differentially regulated in the animals overexpressing α-synuclein, five in cat-1 , and three in the pdr-1 mutants. The family of miR-64 and miR-65 are co-underexpressed in the α-synuclein transgenic and cat-1 strains, and members of let-7 family co-underexpressed in the α-synuclein and pdr-1 strains; mdl-1 and ptc-1 genes are target candidates for miR-64 and miR-65 and are overexpressed in α-synuclein transgenic as well as miR-64/65 (tm3711) knockout animals. These results indicate that miRNAs are differentially expressed in C. elegans PD models and suggest a role for these molecules in disease pathogenesis.