Genome-wide analysis of microRNA-mRNA gene regulatory networks reveals widespread involvement of microRNAs in visually guided eye emmetropization and myopia [mRNA retina]

ABSTRACT: During postnatal development, the optical geometry of the eye is refined through a process called emmetropization. During eye emmetropization, optical defocus triggers a signaling cascade that originates in the retina, propagates across other ocular tissues and results in scleral wall remodeling. This signaling is associated with large-scale changes in gene expression, which was extensively studied at the mRNA level. Although several studies investigated the role of non-coding RNAs in eye emmetropization, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) and other non-coding RNAs remains poorly understood. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the miRNA-mRNA gene regulatory networks underlying optical-defocus-induced myopia using massive parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Our analysis revealed a widespread involvement of miRNAs in optical defocus perception and visually guided eye emmetropization underlying myopia development. We found that a relatively small number of miRNAs (39 miRNAs total) regulate expression of over 450 mRNAs, or 59% of all mRNAs differentially expressed in the eyes of mice with optical-defocus-induced myopia. MiRNAs were also found to be involved in the regulation of the absolute majority of the biological processes and signaling pathways underlying visually guided eye emmetropization and myopia.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE200051 | GEO | 2025/04/03

REPOSITORIES: GEO