MicroRNA-934 is a novel primate-specific small non-coding RNA with neurogenic function during early development

Elife. 2020 May 27:9:e50561. doi: 10.7554/eLife.50561.

Abstract

Integrating differential RNA and miRNA expression during neuronal lineage induction of human embryonic stem cells we identified miR-934, a primate-specific miRNA that displays a stage-specific expression pattern during progenitor expansion and early neuron generation. We demonstrate the biological relevance of this finding by comparison with data from early to mid-gestation human cortical tissue. Further we find that miR-934 directly controls progenitor to neuroblast transition and impacts on neurite growth of newborn neurons. In agreement, miR-934 targets are involved in progenitor proliferation and neuronal differentiation whilst miR-934 inhibition results in profound global transcriptome changes associated with neurogenesis, axonogenesis, neuronal migration and neurotransmission. Interestingly, miR-934 inhibition affects the expression of genes associated with the subplate zone, a transient compartment most prominent in primates that emerges during early corticogenesis. Our data suggest that mir-934 is a novel regulator of early human neurogenesis with potential implications for a species-specific evolutionary role in brain function.

Keywords: PAX6; developmental biology; doublecortin; early neurons; human; neural induction; neuritogenesis; progenitor cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Doublecortin Domain Proteins
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Human Embryonic Stem Cells / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Neural Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Neurogenesis / genetics*
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism
  • PAX6 Transcription Factor / metabolism

Substances

  • Doublecortin Domain Proteins
  • MIRN934 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Neuropeptides
  • PAX6 Transcription Factor
  • PAX6 protein, human

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE101548
  • GEO/GSE119760
  • SRA/SRR1636969
  • SRA/SRR1636968
  • SRA/SRR1636959
  • SRA/SRR1636960
  • SRA/SRR1636962
  • SRA/SRR1636963
  • SRA/SRR1636965
  • SRA/SRR1988287
  • SRA/SRR1988288
  • SRA/SRR1988291
  • SRA/SRR1988292
  • SRA/SRR1658346
  • SRA/SRR1658360
  • SRA/SRR1759212
  • SRA/SRR1759213
  • SRA/SRR2061800
  • SRA/SRR2061801
  • SRA/SRR2061795
  • SRA/SRR2061797
  • SRA/SRR2061803
  • SRA/SRR2061804
  • SRA/SRR2061810
  • SRA/SRR828708
  • SRA/SRR828709
  • SRA/SRR531688
  • SRA/SRR531687
  • SRA/SRR531692
  • SRA/SRR531694
  • SRA/SRR531683
  • SRA/SRR531684
  • SRA/SRR1949839
  • SRA/SRR1949841
  • SRA/SRR1949847
  • SRA/SRR1949850
  • SRA/SRR1949858
  • SRA/SRR1949861
  • SRA/(SRA) SRR1820679
  • SRA/SRR1820680
  • SRA/SRR2174513
  • SRA/SRR2174514
  • SRA/SRR2174515
  • SRA/SRR2174516
  • SRA/SRR2174517
  • SRA/SRR2174518
  • SRA/SRR2174519
  • SRA/SRR2174520
  • SRA/SRR2174537
  • SRA/SRR2174538
  • SRA/SRR2174541
  • SRA/SRR2174542
  • SRA/SRR191548
  • SRA/SRR191578
  • SRA/SRR070232
  • SRA/SRR070230
  • SRA/SRR6328631
  • SRA/SRR6328627
  • SRA/SRR6328628
  • SRA/SRR6328630

Grants and funding

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.