microRNAs Regulate Cell-to-Cell Variability of Endogenous Target Gene Expression in Developing Mouse Thymocytes

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microRNAs are integral to many developmental processes and may 'canalise' development by reducing cell-to-cell variation in gene expression. This idea is supported by computational studies that have modeled the impact of microRNAs on the expression of their targets and the construction of artificial incoherent feedforward loops using synthetic biology tools. Here we show that this interesting principle of microRNA regulation actually occurs in a mammalian developmental system. We examine cell-to-cell variation of protein expression in developing mouse thymocytes by quantitative flow cytometry and find that the absence of microRNAs results in increased cell-to-cell variation in the expression of the microRNA target Cd69. Mechanistically, T cell receptor signaling induces both Cd69 and miR-17 and miR-20a, two microRNAs that target Cd69. Co-regulation of microRNAs and their target mRNA dampens the expression of Cd69 and forms an incoherent feedforward loop that reduces cell-to-cell variation on CD69 expression. In addition, miR-181, which also targets Cd69 and is a known modulator of T cell receptor signaling, also affects cell-to-cell variation of CD69 expression. The ability of microRNAs to control the uniformity of gene expression across mammalian cell populations may be important for normal development and for disease.

Vyšlo v časopise: microRNAs Regulate Cell-to-Cell Variability of Endogenous Target Gene Expression in Developing Mouse Thymocytes. PLoS Genet 11(2): e32767. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005020
Kategorie: Research Article
prolekare.web.journal.doi_sk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005020

Souhrn

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