Project description:To investigate the molecular mechanism of the hypopigmentation observed in Dicer KO mice, Dicer knockdown was realised in vitro in normal C57BL/6 mouse melanocyte Melan-a cells. Transient transfection of Melan-a cells with siRNA directed against Dicer reduced Dicer protein levels to approximately 40% of that of siScr Melan-a cells 24 hours after transfection. We analyzed the miRnome of Melan-a cells 24 and 48 hours after transfection with siDicer or siScr to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in Dicer-dependent melanocyte migration.
Project description:To investigate the molecular mechanism of the hypopigmentation observed in Dicer KO mice, Dicer knockdown was realised in vitro in normal C57BL/6 mouse melanocyte Melan-a cells. Transient transfection of Melan-a cells with siRNA directed against Dicer reduced Dicer protein levels to approximately 40% of that of siScr Melan-a cells 48 hours after transfection. We analyzed the transcriptome of Melan-a cells 48 hours after transfection with siDicer or siScr to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in Dicer-dependent melanocyte migration.
Project description:To investigate the molecular mechanism of the hypopigmentation observed in Dicer KO mice, Dicer knockdown was realised in vitro in normal C57BL/6 mouse melanocyte Melan-a cells. Transient transfection of Melan-a cells with siRNA directed against Dicer reduced Dicer protein levels to approximately 40% of that of siScr Melan-a cells 24 hours after transfection. We analyzed the transcriptome of Melan-a cells 24 hours after transfection with siDicer or siScr to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in Dicer-dependent melanocyte migration.
Project description:DICER has a well-characterized role in the processing of microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNA) that are important for post-transcriptional gene regulation. Emerging evidence suggests that DICER also has several non-canonical functions beyond miRNA/siRNA biogenesis, for example in transcriptional gene silencing at the chromatin level, as well as in RNA degradation and maintenance of genomic integrity. We have shown that the function of DICER in germ cells is essential for normal spermatogenesis; male mice lacking DICER in postnatal male germ cells are infertile due to severe defects in haploid differentiation. To better understand the function of DICER in male germ cells, we immunoprecipitated DICER from juvenile mouse testes and performed mass spectrometric analysis to identify DICER-interacting proteins.
Project description:miRNA regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptionnal level. To gain further insight into this process, we analysed by Affymetrix microarray, the transcriptome of Dicer WT or Dicer deleted mouse CD4 T cells.
Project description:iNKT cells are a T lymphocyte subset displaying an innate effector phenotype that is acquired through a thymic developmental program controlled by microRNAs (miRNAs). iNKT cells lacking all miRNAs by the deletion of Dicer (Dicer KO) are markedly reduced and display a complete maturation block. In this study, we sought to gain insight into the miRNA-regulated genetic program required for iNKT cell development. By systemic analysis, we identified transcripts differentially expressed between thymic WT or Dicer KO iNKT cells and targeted by the iNKT cell-specific miRNAs. TGF-βRII, a molecule critically implicated in iNKT cell maturation, was found upregulated in Dicer KO iNKT cells together with increased TGF-β-dependent signaling. miRNAs belonging to the paralog miR-106a~363, miR-106b~25 and miR-17~92 clusters were predicted to target TGF-βRII mRNA during iNKT cell development. Thymic iNKT cells lacking all three miRNA clusters displayed both increased TGF-βRII expression and signaling and a maturation block, recapitulating those found in Dicer KO iNKT cells. Consistently, inhibition of TGF-β-dependent signaling in the absence of miRNAs, by crossing TGF-βRII KO and Dicer KO mice, rescued iNKT cell maturation. Collectively, our results highlight a fundamental requirement of the modulation of TGF-β-dependent signaling by miRNAs for iNKT cell development