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Comparative profiling of microRNA expression between neural stem cells and motor neurons in embryonic spinal cord in rat
Author(s) -
Wei Hongen,
Wang Chunfang,
Zhang Chuansen,
Li Pengfei,
Wang Fei,
Zhang Zhiying
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2010.04.007
Subject(s) - neural stem cell , biology , embryonic stem cell , stem cell , neuroepithelial cell , microrna , motor neuron , spinal cord injury , neuroscience , spinal cord , neurosphere , adult stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genetics
Neural stem cells’ transplantation has been proposed as a future therapy for spinal cord injury. The challenge is how to make proportionally more neural stem cells differentiate into spinal motor neurons. Recent reports reveal that microRNAs play an important role in regulating stem cell self‐renewal and differentiation. The aim of this study was to compare the profiling of microRNA expression between neural stem cells and motor neurons and to find candidate targets that direct differentiation of neural stem cells into motor neurons. We performed a parallel isolation and purication of motor neurons and neural stem cells from the same rat embryonic spinal cord sample. With the high‐throughput TaqMan low‐density array platform, 44 differentially expressed microRNAs were identified (22 specially expressed microRNAs in motor neurons and neural stem cells, respectively). Using bioinformatic methods, clustering, transcriptional regulation and target genes of differential microRNAs were analyzed. Furthermore, miR‐126 specially expressed in cultured motor neurons identified by TaqMan low‐density array was significantly elevated in choline acetyltransferase‐positive neurons differentiated from the neural stem cells. These findings suggest that specially expressed microRNAs may contribute to the directed differentiation of neural stem cells into motor neurons and are potential targets for therapeutic interventions following spinal cord injury.