Comprehensive analysis of microRNA expression in regionalized human neural progenitor cells reveals microRNA-10 as a caudalizing factor.

Summary, in English

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in regulating multiple processes during brain development in various species. However, the function of miRNAs in human brain development remains largely unexplored. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of miRNA expression of regionalized neural progenitor cells derived from human embryonic stem cells and human foetal brain. We found miR-92b-3p and miR-130b-5p to be specifically associated with neural progenitors and several miRNAs that display both age-specific and region-specific expression patterns. Among these miRNAs, we identified miR-10 to be specifically expressed in the human hindbrain and spinal cord, while being absent from rostral regions. We found that miR-10 regulates a large number of genes enriched for functions including transcription, actin cytoskeleton and ephrin receptor signalling. When overexpressed, miR-10 influences caudalization of human neural progenitor cells. Together, these data confirm a role for miRNAs in establishing different human neural progenitor populations. This dataset also provides a comprehensive resource for future studies investigating the functional role of different miRNAs in human brain development.

• Author: Marie Jönsson; Jenny Nelander Wahlestedt; Malin Åkerblom; Agnete Kirkeby; Josephine Malmevik; Per Ludvik Brattaas; Johan Jakobsson; Malin Parmar
• Department/s: Molecular Neurogenetics; Neurology, Lund; Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology; Neurobiology; StemTherapy: National Initiative on Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapy; MultiPark: Multidisciplinary research focused on Parkinson´s disease
• Publishing year: 2015
• Language: English
• Pages: 3166-3177
• Publication/Series: Development: For advances in developmental biology and stem cells
• Volume: 142
• Issue: 18
• Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26395143?dopt=Abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dev.122747
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: The Company of Biologists Ltd
• Topic: Neurosciences
• Status: Published
• Research group: Molecular Neurogenetics; Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology; Neurobiology
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1477-9129