Dre-miR-2188 targets Nrp2a and mediates proper intersegmental vessel development in zebrafish embryos

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 7; no. 6; p. e39417
• Main Authors: Soares, Ana R, Reverendo, Marisa, Pereira, Patrícia M, Nivelles, Olivier, Pendeville, Hélène, Bezerra, Ana Rita, Moura, Gabriela R, Struman, Ingrid, Santos, Manuel A S
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 22-06-2012; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: 3' Untranslated Regions; Acids; Algorithms; Angiogenesis; Animals; Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology; Biochimie, biophysique & biologie moléculaire; Biology; Cell cycle; Coding; Danio rerio; Disruption; Down-Regulation; Embryonic development; Embryos; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - embryology; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic engineering; Genomics; Laboratories; Life sciences; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; Molecular biology; Motility; Neural coding; Neuroblastoma; Neuropilin-2 - genetics; Neuropilin-2 - metabolism; Neurosciences; Predictions; Protein Biosynthesis; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Sciences du vivant; Statistical analysis; Target recognition; Trends; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - genetics; Zebrafish - metabolism
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039417

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that are implicated in the control of eukaryotic gene expression by binding to the 3'UTR of target mRNAs. Several algorithms have been developed for miRNA target prediction however, experimental validation is still essential for the correct identification of miRNA targets. We have recently predicted that Neuropilin2a (Nrp2a), a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor which is essential for normal developmental angiogenesis in zebrafish, is a dre-miR-2188 target.
Here we show that dre-miR-2188 targets the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of Nrp2a mRNA and is implicated in proper intersegmental vessel development in vivo. Over expression of miR-2188 in zebrafish embryos down regulates Nrp2a expression and results in intersegmental vessel disruption, while its silencing increases Nrp2a expression and intersegmental vessel sprouting. An in vivo GFP sensor assay based on a fusion between the GFP coding region and the Nrp2a 3'UTR confirms that miR-2188 binds to the 3'UTR of Nrp2a and inhibits protein translation.
We demonstrate that miR-2188 targets Nrp2a and affects intersegmental vessel development in zebrafish embryos.