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- Title
Exploring miR-9 Involvement in Ciona intestinalis Neural Development Using Peptide Nucleic Acids.
- Authors
Mercurio, Silvia; Cauteruccio, Silvia; Manenti, Raoul; Candiani, Simona; Scarì, Giorgio; Licandro, Emanuela; Pennati, Roberta
- Abstract
The microRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and can be involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. They are emerging as possible targets for antisense-based therapy, even though the in vivo stability of miRNA analogues is still questioned. We tested the ability of peptide nucleic acids, a novel class of nucleic acid mimics, to downregulate miR-9 in vivo in an invertebrate model organism, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, by microinjection of antisense molecules in the eggs. It is known that miR-9 is a well-conserved microRNA in bilaterians and we found that it is expressed in epidermal sensory neurons of the tail in the larva of C. intestinalis. Larvae developed from injected eggs showed a reduced differentiation of tail neurons, confirming the possibility to use peptide nucleic acid PNA to downregulate miRNA in a whole organism. By identifying putative targets of miR-9, we discuss the role of this miRNA in the development of the peripheral nervous system of ascidians.
- Subjects
PEPTIDE nucleic acids; CIONA intestinalis; NEURAL development; PERIPHERAL nervous system; NON-coding RNA; NUCLEIC acids
- Publication
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020, Vol 21, Issue 6, p2001
- ISSN
1661-6596
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ijms21062001