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miRNA-Mediated Post-transcriptional Regulation in the Nervous System

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 6103

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cecilia Mannironi

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Guest Editor

Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: post-transcriptional regulation; gene expression; nervous system; microRNA; ncRNA; circRNA

Dr. Francesca De Vito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Neurology Unit, IRCSS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
Interests: microRNAs; post-transcriptional; neuroimmunology; synaptic plasticity; multiple sclerosis; nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that suppress the translation and/or initiate the degradation of target mRNAs. Each miRNA post-transcriptionally controls the expression of hundreds of genes, modulating signaling cascades and entire pathways. In the central nervous system (CNS), miRNAs have diverse and highly specific spatio-temporal patterns of expression and function. Two decades of functional and molecular studies on neuronal miRNAs have clearly demonstrated that they are key regulators of neuronal differentiation, brain development and plasticity mechanisms in post-natal neurons. Interestingly, external stimuli and neuronal activity modulate their expression and function, through regulatory pathways that involve RNA binding proteins (RPBs) and other RNA interactors. The essential contribution of miRNAs to brain homeostasis is proven by the fact that miRNA loss of function or dysregulation is highly associated with neuronal diseases. Indeed, recent pieces of evidence have indicated the role of many miRNAs in the etiology of human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.

This Special Issue aims to discuss recent findings on the molecular mechanism of miRNA-dependent gene expression regulation in the CNS. A special focus will be on newly discovered molecular networks involving miRNAs, other ncRNAs or RBPs, acting in brain physiology and pathology. We welcome original research, reviews and other article types.

Dr. Cecilia Mannironi
Dr. Francesca De Vito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

neuronal miRNA
miRNA biogenesis
miRNA activity
RNA stability
circRNA
lncRNA
RNA binding proteins
extracellular macrovesicle
synaptic transmission
CNS pathology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 3473 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oral Delivery of miR-320-3p with Lipidic Aminoglycoside Derivatives at Mid-Lactation Alters miR-320-3p Endogenous Levels in the Gut and Brain of Adult Rats According to Early or Regular Weaning

by Gabriel Araujo Tavares, Amada Torres, Gwenola Le Drean, Maïwenn Queignec, Blandine Castellano, Laurent Tesson, Séverine Remy, Ignacio Anegon, Bruno Pitard and Bertrand Kaeffer

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010191 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1912

Abstract

To investigate if the artificial delivery of microRNAs naturally present in the breastmilk can impact the gut and brain of young rats according to weaning. Animals from a new transgenic rat line expressing the green-fluorescent protein in the endocrine lineage (cholecystokinin expressing cells) received a single oral bolus of miR-320-3p or miR-375-3p embedded in DiOleyl-Succinyl-Paromomycin (DOSP) on D-12. The pups were weaned early (D-15), or regularly (D-30). The expression of relevant miRNA, mRNAs, chromatin complexes, and duodenal cell density were assessed at 8 h post-inoculation and on D-45. The miR-320-3p/DOSP induced immediate effects on H3K4me3 chromatin complexes with polr3d promoter (p < 0.05). On regular weaning, on D-45, miR-320-3p and 375-3p were found to be downregulated in the stomach and upregulated in the hypothalamus (p < 0.001), whereas miR-320-3p was upregulated in the duodenum. After early weaning, miR-320-3p and miR-375-3p were downregulated in the stomach and the duodenum, but upregulated in the hypothalamus and the hippocampus. Combination of miR-320-3p/DOSP with early weaning enhanced miR-320-3p and chromogranin A expression in the duodenum. In the female brain stem, miR-320-3p, miR-504, and miR-16-5p levels were all upregulated. Investigating the oral miRNA-320-3p loads in the duodenal cell lineage paved the way for designing new therapeutics to avoid unexpected long-term impacts on the brain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue miRNA-Mediated Post-transcriptional Regulation in the Nervous System)

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Review

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19 pages, 1240 KiB

Open AccessReview

Sex-Biased Expression and Response of microRNAs in Neurological Diseases and Neurotrauma

by Urim Geleta, Paresh Prajapati, Adam Bachstetter, Peter T. Nelson and Wang-Xia Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 2648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052648 - 24 Feb 2024

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Abstract

Neurological diseases and neurotrauma manifest significant sex differences in prevalence, progression, outcome, and therapeutic responses. Genetic predisposition, sex hormones, inflammation, and environmental exposures are among many physiological and pathological factors that impact the sex disparity in neurological diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a powerful class of gene expression regulator that are extensively involved in mediating biological pathways. Emerging evidence demonstrates that miRNAs play a crucial role in the sex dimorphism observed in various human diseases, including neurological diseases. Understanding the sex differences in miRNA expression and response is believed to have important implications for assessing the risk of neurological disease, defining therapeutic intervention strategies, and advancing both basic research and clinical investigations. However, there is limited research exploring the extent to which miRNAs contribute to the sex disparities observed in various neurological diseases. Here, we review the current state of knowledge related to the sexual dimorphism in miRNAs in neurological diseases and neurotrauma research. We also discuss how sex chromosomes may contribute to the miRNA sexual dimorphism phenomenon. We attempt to emphasize the significance of sexual dimorphism in miRNA biology in human diseases and to advocate a gender/sex-balanced science. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue miRNA-Mediated Post-transcriptional Regulation in the Nervous System)

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19 pages, 1135 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Impact of Dysregulated microRNA Biogenesis Machinery and microRNA Sorting on Neurodegenerative Diseases

by Yu-Ting Weng, Yao-Ming Chang and Yijuang Chern

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3443; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043443 - 8 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2737

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 22-nucleotide noncoding RNAs involved in the differentiation, development, and function of cells in the body by targeting the 3′- untranslated regions (UTR) of mRNAs for degradation or translational inhibition. miRNAs not only affect gene expression inside the cells but also, when sorted into exosomes, systemically mediate the communication between different types of cells. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are age-associated, chronic neurological diseases characterized by the aggregation of misfolded proteins, which results in the progressive degeneration of selected neuronal population(s). The dysregulation of biogenesis and/or sorting of miRNAs into exosomes was reported in several NDs, including Huntington’s disease (HD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Many studies support the possible roles of dysregulated miRNAs in NDs as biomarkers and therapeutic treatments. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the dysregulated miRNAs in NDs is therefore timely and important for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. In this review, we focus on the dysregulated miRNA machinery and the role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in NDs. The tools that are available to identify the target miRNA-mRNA axes in NDs in an unbiased manner are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue miRNA-Mediated Post-transcriptional Regulation in the Nervous System)

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