MicroRNA expression profiling in neurogenesis of neural stem cells from postnatal to young adult rats

Abstract

MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules composed of 20-22 nucleotides. They highly

accurately indicate cell identity and hence they are useful in labeling cells and tacking

lineage commitment. However, this requires accurate microRNA profiling of cells in

individual developmental stages. Since microRNAs are important negative regulators

of eukaryotic gene expression, microRNA profiling allows better understanding of

molecular regulatory networks of important cellular events, such as adult neurogenesis.

Adult neurogenesis is the process in which neurons, as well as glia, are generated from

neural stem cells. It was found to be responsible for brain regeneration, olfactory

discrimination, memory formation and learning. Depression was suggested to be

related to dysregulation of neurogenesis. Thus, knowledge in cellular and molecular

mechanisms of adult neurogenesis will lay solid foundation to develop therapies to

regenerate neural cells after injuries or onsets of neurodegenerative diseases and to

understand the cognitive ability, memory formation and learning of the brain. In spite

of its importance, investigation into the miRNA profiles and functions in neurogenesis

is still infant. This project aimed to establish a preliminary microRNA profile on

neurogenesis. Although this was not completed, the project could be extended to a

large-scale microRNA profiling in neurogenesis. This would enable future workers to

track the lineage commitment, the migration, and the distribution of NSCs and their

derived cells accurately by in situ hybridization. Also, the future workers may construct

a 2D representation of the changes in miRNA profiles and this may lead to discovery of

previously unknown molecular and cellular differences among cells of same cell

identity.