Evidence for selective microRNAs and their effectors as common long-term targets for the actions of mood stabilizers.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate messenger RNA (mRNA) translation in a sequence-specific manner and are emerging as critical regulators of central nervous system plasticity. We found hippocampal miRNA level changes following chronic treatment with mood stabilizers (lithium and valproate (VPA)). Several of these miRNAs were then confirmed by quantitative PCR: let-7b, let-7c, miR-128a, miR-24a, miR-30c, miR-34a, miR-221, and miR-144. The predicted effectors of these miRNAs are involved in neurite outgrowth, neurogenesis, and signaling of PTEN, ERK, and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways. Interestingly, several of these effector-coding genes are also genetic risk candidates for bipolar disorder. We provide evidence that treatment with mood stabilizers increases these potential susceptibility genes in vivo:

SUBMITTER: Zhou R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2669666 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature