Project description:Previous studies of vertebrate appendage regeneration have shown that multiple genetic programs are moduled through regulatory factors. MicroRNAs are short highly conserved non-coding genes that suppress expression of target genes and thereby control multiple genetic programs. Given their important regulatory roles and evolutionary conservation, we hypothesize that microRNAs define a conserved genetic regulatory circuit important for appendage regeneration. We characterized microRNA expression during Polypterus senegalus (bichir) pectoral fin regeneration using small RNA sequencing. The same samples were assayed for mRNA expression using mRNA sequencing.
