MicroRNA-23a promotes myelination in the central nervous system

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2013-10, Vol.110 (43), p.17468-17473
• Main Authors: Lin, Shu-Ting, Huang, Yong, Zhang, Luoying, Heng, Mary Y., Ptáček, Louis J., Fu, Ying-Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Sciences; Blotting, Western; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Central nervous system; Central Nervous System - metabolism; Gene expression regulation; Genes; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Kinases; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Microscopy, Electron; Myelin; Myelin Sheath - genetics; Myelin Sheath - physiology; Myelin Sheath - ultrastructure; Myelination; Nervous system; Neurons; Neuroscience; Oligodendroglia; Oligodendroglia - cytology; Oligodendroglia - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; PTEN Phosphohydrolase - genetics; PTEN Phosphohydrolase - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Long Noncoding - genetics; RNA, Long Noncoding - metabolism; Rodents; Signal Transduction - genetics; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases - genetics; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; Transcriptome
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1317182110

Demyelinating disorders including leukodystrophies are devastating conditions that are still in need of better understanding, and both oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin synthesis pathways are potential avenues for developing treatment. Overexpression of lamin B1 leads to leukodystrophy characterized by demyelination of the central nervous system, and microRNA-23 (miR-23) was found to suppress lamin B1 and enhance oligodendrocyte differentiation in vitro. Here, we demonstrated that miR-23a –overexpressing mice have increased myelin thickness, providing in vivo evidence that miR-23a enhances both oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin synthesis. Using this mouse model, we explored possible miR-23a targets and revealed that the phosphatase and tensin homologue/phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway is modulated by miR-23a . Additionally, a long noncoding RNA, 2700046G09Rik , was identified as a miR-23a target and modulates phosphatase and tensin homologue itself in a miR-23a –dependent manner. The data presented here imply a unique role for miR-23a in the coordination of proteins and noncoding RNAs in generating and maintaining healthy myelin.