title: Post-transcriptional regulation of the Brn-3b transcription factor in differentiating neuroblastoma cells.
abstract: The post-transcriptional control of mRNA levels is a very powerful mechanism which allows cells to quickly change the amount of specific proteins. In this study, we wanted to analyze whether the Brn-3b transcription factor, essential for the proper development of mouse retinal ganglion cells, is subjected to such post-transcriptional regulation. In particular, due to its conservation amongst different species, we wanted to study the role of its 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). We show that the 3'UTR of the Brn-3b mRNA does indeed contain regulatory sequences that mediate mRNA degradation upon serum starvation-induced differentiation of ND7 neuroblastoma cells. The specific region mediating this effect has been characterized and two different microRNAs that potentially regulate the stability of Brn-3b have been identified. Moreover we show that Dicer, one of the key enzymes in the production of microRNAs, is strongly up-regulated in ND7 cells subjected to differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Medical Molecular Biology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, United Kingdom. m.calissano@ich.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calissano
authors.forename: James K J
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Diss
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Latchman
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A / Q000235:genetics; D050820:Transcription Factor Brn-3B / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A; D050820:Transcription Factor Brn-3B