MiR-122 removal in the liver activates imprinted microRNAs and enables more effective microRNA-mediated gene repression.

ABSTRACT: miR-122 is a highly expressed liver microRNA that is activated perinatally and aids in regulating cholesterol metabolism and promoting terminal differentiation of hepatocytes. Disrupting expression of miR-122 can re-activate embryo-expressed adult-silenced genes, ultimately leading to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we interrogate the liver transcriptome at various time points after genomic excision of miR-122 to determine the cellular consequences leading to oncogenesis. Loss of miR-122 leads to specific and progressive increases in expression of imprinted clusters of microRNAs and mRNA transcripts at the Igf2 and Dlk1-Dio3 loci that could be curbed by re-introduction of exogenous miR-122. mRNA targets of other abundant hepatic microRNAs are functionally repressed

SUBMITTER: Valdmanis PN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6294001 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature