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miRNA and Dicer in the mammalian lens: expression of brain-specific miRNAs in the lens

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Abstract

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are ~22 nucleotide molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and govern a wide range of physiological and developmental processes. Evidence now indicates that miRNAs can also coordinately down-regulate transcript levels for very large groups of genes in a tissue-specific manner, in addition to their ability to suppress protein translation. Here, we examine expression of specific miRNAs and Dicer ribonuclease that is required for miRNA biogenesis in mouse and rat lenses. Northern blot analysis demonstrated lens expression of brain-specific miR−124 and miR−7 in lenses, as well as miR−125b and let−7a. In addition, we provide evidence that muscle specific miR−1 is not present in lens. We detected Dicer transcripts in 21 day, 6 week, and 1 year mouse lenses and 15 day rat lens, and detected Dicer protein in adult lens protein samples. Immunohistochemical examination of late embryonic, post-natal, and adult rat lens sections identified expression of Dicer in differentiating fiber cells that undergo pronounced cell elongation in the lens interior and anterior epithelial cells. The present study provides evidence that miRNAs, which include brain-specific forms, and Dicer are expressed in mammalian lenses, indicating that fundamental aspects of miRNA biology are utilized by the lens during late embryonic and post-natal development and in adult lenses.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Esther Yun and Yancy Van Patten for technical assistance during the course of this project. We thank W. Filipowicz (Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland) for antibodies and discussion and advice during this study. We also thank Debasish Sinha (John Hopkins, Baltimore MD) for providing histological sections and helpful discussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School , 185 South Orange Ave MSB H−64 , Newark, NJ , 07103, USA

    Peter H. Frederikse & Lukasz M. Partyka

  2. UMDNJ/Rutgers Integrative Neuroscience Program, UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School, Newark , NJ , 07103, USA

    Peter H. Frederikse

  3. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School, Newark , NJ, 07103, USA

    Robert Donnelly

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  1. Peter H. Frederikse
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  2. Robert Donnelly
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Correspondence to Peter H. Frederikse.

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Frederikse, P.H., Donnelly, R. & Partyka, L.M. miRNA and Dicer in the mammalian lens: expression of brain-specific miRNAs in the lens. Histochem Cell Biol 126, 1–8 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-005-0139-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-005-0139-0

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