PUBLICATION

MicroRNAs in brain development and physiology

Authors
Coolen, M., and Bally-Cuif, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-091023-69
Date
2009
Source
Current opinion in neurobiology   19(5): 461-470 (Review)
Registered Authors
Bally-Cuif, Laure
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Brain/growth & development*
  • Brain/physiology*
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs/metabolism*
  • Neurogenesis/physiology
PubMed
19846291 Full text @ Curr. Opin. Neurobiol.
Abstract
The crucial role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in brain development is demonstrated by the dramatic apoptotic phenotypes of mouse mutants abolishing all miRNAs synthesis. Recent advances in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish and mouse moved beyond this global understanding by targeting selected miRNAs. They indicate that single miRNAs successively modulate all steps of brain maturation, including patterning, neurogenesis, neuronal differentiation and subtype specification, and neuronal activity. In detail, they reveal an amazing functional complexity: specific miRNAs can either be used reiteratively, such as miR-9 in patterning, neurogenesis and differentiation, or concomitantly target different mRNAs in distinct cellular compartments, such as Pumilio or Limk1 that can be inhibited by miR-134 to control neuritogenesis or spine growth, respectively. Their regulation can be composite, either through multiple loci (miR-9) or in blocks of numerous miRNAs (miR-134). A major step remains to decipher their impact on brain function, in particular in the control of behaviour.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping