title: Regulation of chondrocytic phenotype by micro RNA 18a: involvement of Ccn2/Ctgf as a major target gene.
abstract: We searched for miRNAs that were down-regulated in chondrocytic cells and predicted to target CCN2/connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) that promotes endochondral ossification. Among them, expression of miR-18a was most strongly repressed in chondrocytic cells. Reporter gene analysis confirmed the functionality of an miR-18a target in the 3'-untranslated region of Ccn2 mRNA, which was predicted in silico. Indeed, introduction of miR-18a efficiently repressed the CCN2 production from chondrocytic cells. Finally, transfected miR-18a significantly repressed the mature chondrocytic phenotype. Our present study revealed a regulatory role for miR-18a in chondrocytic differentiation through CCN2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Dentistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, 700-8525, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohgawara
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawaki
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Naito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurio
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takigawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002645:Chickens; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D050436:Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: C526317:CCN2 protein, human; C522576:MIRN18A microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor