MiR-124 regulates early neurogenesis in the optic vesicle and forebrain, targeting NeuroD1.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the fine control of cell proliferation and differentiation during the development of the nervous system. MiR-124, a neural specific miRNA, is expressed from the beginning of eye development in Xenopus, and has been shown to repress cell proliferation in the optic cup, however, its role at earlier developmental stages is unclear. Here, we show that this miRNA exerts a different role in cell proliferation at the optic vesicle stage, the stage which precedes optic cup formation. We show that miR-124 is both necessary and sufficient to promote cell proliferation and repress neurogenesis at the optic vesicle stage, playing an anti-neural role. Loss of miR-124 upregulates expression of neural markers NCAM, N-tubulin while gain of miR-124 downregulates these gen

SUBMITTER: Liu K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3074159 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature