A multifunctional locus controls motor neuron differentiation through short and long non coding RNAs
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ABSTRACT: The transition from dividing progenitors into post-mitotic motor neurons is orchestrated by a series of events mainly studied at the transcriptional level by analyzing the activity of specific programming transcription factors. In this work, we describe that a motor neuron-specific transcriptional unit, harboring a lncRNA (lncMN2-203) and two miRNAs (miR-325-3p and miR-384-5p), controls such transition at the post-transcriptional level. Through the use of in vitro differentiation of mESC and single-cell sequencing of CRISPR/Cas9 mutants, we demonstrate that lncMN2-203 affects motor neuron differentiation by sponging miR-466i-5p and up-regulating its targets; among them Onecut2, which is the upstream regulator of the MN-specific programming factor Islet-1. In synergy with lncMN2-203, instead the depletion of the co-transcribed miR-325-3p and miR-384-5p was found to mainly sustain proliferation-related factors. These findings indicate the functional relevance of the MN2 locus and contribute to elucidate additional layers of regulation controlling the specificity of motor neuron differentiation.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE174671 | GEO | 2021/11/16
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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