PUBLICATION
MicroRNA-20a is essential for normal embryogenesis by targeting vsx1 mRNA in fish
- Authors
- Sun, L., Li, H., Xu, X., Xiao, G., Luo, C.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-150403-6
- Date
- 2015
- Source
- RNA Biology 12(6): 615-27 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- 3' untranslated region, embryogenesis, miRNA-20a, post-transcriptional regulation, vsx1
- MeSH Terms
-
- 3' Untranslated Regions
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Embryonic Development*
- Eye Proteins/metabolism*
- Female
- Gastrula/metabolism
- Goldfish/embryology*
- Goldfish/genetics
- Goldfish/metabolism
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism*
- Male
- MicroRNAs/metabolism*
- Molecular Sequence Data
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
- Retina/metabolism
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- Zebrafish/genetics
- Zebrafish/metabolism
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism*
- PubMed
- 25833418 Full text @ RNA Biol.
Citation
Sun, L., Li, H., Xu, X., Xiao, G., Luo, C. (2015) MicroRNA-20a is essential for normal embryogenesis by targeting vsx1 mRNA in fish. RNA Biology. 12(6):615-27.
Abstract
MicroRNAs are major post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and have essential roles in diverse developmental processes. In vertebrates, some regulatory genes play different roles at different developmental stages. These genes are initially transcribed in a wide embryonic region but restricted within distinct cell types at subsequent stages during development. Therefore, post-transcriptional regulation is therefore required for the transition from one developmental stage to the next and establishment of different cell identities. However, the regulation of many multiple functional genes at post-transcription level during development remains unknown. Here we show that miR-20a can target the mRNA of vsx1, a multiple functional gene, at the 3'-UTR and inhibit protein expression in both goldfish and zebrafish. The expression of miR-20a is initiated ubiquitously at late gastrula stage and exhibits a tissue-specific pattern in the developing retina. Inhibition of vsx1 3'-UTR mediated protein expression occurs when and where miR-20a is expressed. Decoying miR-20a resulted in severely impaired head, eye and trunk formation in association with excessive generation of vsx1 marked neurons in the spinal cord and defects of somites in the mesoderm region. These results demonstrate that miR-20a is essential for normal embryogenesis by restricting Vsx1 expression in goldfish and zebrafish, and explain how transcription factor Vsx1 regulates different development processes.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping