MicroRNA-mediated posttranscriptional regulation is required for maintaining undifferentiated properties of blastoderm and primordial germ cells in chickens.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in determining the differentiation fate of pluripotent stem cells and germ cells in mammals. However, the mechanism(s) of miRNA-mediated posttranscriptional regulation with regard to lineage specification and differentiation in chick development require further investigation. Therefore, we conducted miRNA expression profiling to explore specific miRNA signatures in undifferentiated blastoderm and primordial germ cells (PGCs). We identified seven miRNAs that are highly expressed in blastoderm and 10 that are highly expressed in PGCs. In this study, miR-302a and miR-456 for blastoderm and miR-181a* for PGCs were analyzed further for their target transcripts and regulatory pathways. Both miR-302a and miR-456 bound directly to the sex-determining region

SUBMITTER: Lee SI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3127938 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature