PUBLICATION

Lentiviral Delivery of miR-133b Improves Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury in Mice

Authors
Theis, T., Yoo, M., Park, C.S., Chen, J., Kügler, S., Gibbs, K.M., Schachner, M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160716-19
Date
2017
Source
Molecular neurobiology   54(6): 4659-4671 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Schachner, Melitta
Keywords
Central nervous system, Inhibitory proteoglycans, Mouse, Regeneration, Spinal cord injury, miRNA
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism
  • Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans/metabolism
  • Female
  • Genetic Therapy*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hippocampus/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lentivirus/metabolism*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MicroRNAs/genetics*
  • MicroRNAs/therapeutic use*
  • Microfilament Proteins/metabolism
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
  • Neuronal Outgrowth/genetics
  • Neurons/metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger/genetics
  • RNA, Messenger/metabolism
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Recovery of Function*
  • Spinal Cord Injuries/genetics
  • Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathology*
  • Spinal Cord Injuries/therapy*
  • Transfection
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism
PubMed
27412702 Full text @ Mol. Neurobiol.
Abstract
Based on the observation that microRNA (miRNA) 133b enhances regeneration after spinal cord injury in the adult zebrafish, we investigated whether this miRNA would be beneficial in a mammalian system in vitro and in vivo. We found that infection of cultured neurons with miR-133b promotes neurite outgrowth in vitro on an inhibitory substrate consisting of mixed chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, when compared to infection with green fluorescent protein (GFP) for control. In vivo, viral infection of the injured adult mouse spinal cord at the time of injury at and in the vicinity of the lesion site enhanced expression of miR-133b. Measurements of locomotor recovery by Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) showed improvement of recovery starting at 4 weeks after injury and virus injection. This improvement was associated with downregulation of the expression levels of Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA), chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, and microglia/macrophage marker in the spinal cord as assayed 6 weeks after injury. Potential inhibitory molecules carrying consensus sequences for binding of miR-133b were identified in silico and verified in a reporter assay in vitro showing reductions in expression of RhoA, xylosyltransferase 1 (Xylt1), ephrin receptor A7 (Epha7), and purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 4 (P2RX4). These results encourage targeting miR-133 for therapy.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping