Dre-miR-2188 Targets Nrp2a and Mediates Proper Intersegmental Vessel Development in Zebrafish Embryos
- Authors
- Soares, A.R., Reverendo, M., Pereira, P.M., Nivelles, O., Pendeville, H., Bezerra, A.R., Moura, G.R., Struman, I., and Santos, M.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120706-22
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- PLoS One 7(6): e39417 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Pereira, Patricia, Santos, Manuel, Struman, Ingrid
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- 3' Untranslated Regions
- Animals
- Down-Regulation
- Endothelial Cells/metabolism
- Endothelium, Vascular/embryology*
- Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism
- MicroRNAs/genetics*
- MicroRNAs/metabolism
- Neuropilin-2/genetics*
- Neuropilin-2/metabolism
- Protein Biosynthesis
- Zebrafish/genetics*
- Zebrafish/metabolism
- PubMed
- 22761789 Full text @ PLoS One
Background
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that are implicated in the control of eukaryotic gene expression by binding to the 32UTR of target mRNAs. Several algorithms have been developed for miRNA target prediction however, experimental validation is still essential for the correct identification of miRNA targets. We have recently predicted that Neuropilin2a (Nrp2a), a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor which is essential for normal developmental angiogenesis in zebrafish, is a dre-miR-2188 target.
Methodology
Here we show that dre-miR-2188 targets the 32-untranslated region (32UTR) of Nrp2a mRNA and is implicated in proper intersegmental vessel development in vivo. Over expression of miR-2188 in zebrafish embryos down regulates Nrp2a expression and results in intersegmental vessel disruption, while its silencing increases Nrp2a expression and intersegmental vessel sprouting. An in vivo GFP sensor assay based on a fusion between the GFP coding region and the Nrp2a 32UTR confirms that miR-2188 binds to the 32UTR of Nrp2a and inhibits protein translation.
Conclusions
We demonstrate that miR-2188 targets Nrp2a and affects intersegmental vessel development in zebrafish embryos.