[Isolation, identification and analysis of the expression profile of miRNAs in Aedes albopictus].
OBJECTIVE
To verify the miRNA in Aedes albopictus and characterize the expression profile of several miRNAs across all the life stages of Aedes albopictus.


METHODS
Based on the published miRNA sequences of Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti, 6 DIG-labeled antisense probes were synthesized. The total RNAs from Aedes albopictus in 6 developmental stages (embryo, early larvae, late larvae, pupa, male and female adults) were extracted with a mirVana miRNA isolation kit, loaded onto 15% denaturing polyacrylamide gel and hybridized with the appropriate DIG-labeled probes.


RESULTS
Northern blotting detected 5 miRNAs in Aedes albopictus, of which mir-9a was mainly expressed in embryo and larva stages, let-7 in pupa and adult stages, miR-184 in all life stages, mir-M1 only in the embryos and miR-1175 in all the life stages except for embryos. The expression profiles of these miRNAs in Aedes albopictus were similar to those in D. melanogaster and An.stepheni. miR-1174 was not detected in any of the developmental stages of Aedes albopictus.


CONCLUSIONS
These results present the first direct experimental evidence of miRNA in Aedes albopictus. The expression profiles of the analyzed miRNAs in Aedes albopictus showed stage specificity and conservation with other mosquitoes. Further studies on the functions of these miRNAs may offer new insights in mosquito biology and may lead to novel approaches to the development of insecticides.
Zheng
Pei-ming
PM
Department of Etio-biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Wu
Jin-ya
JY
Gu
Jin-bao
JB
Tu
Zhi-jian
ZJ
Chen
Xiao-guang
XG
D000330:Aedes / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011679:Pupa / Q000235:genetics
D035683:MicroRNAs