title: MiRNA-mediated regulation of cell signaling and homeostasis in the early mouse embryo.
abstract: At the time of implantation the mouse embryo is composed of three tissues the epiblast, trophectoderm and primitive endoderm. As development progresses the epiblast goes on to form the foetus whilst the trophectoderm and primitive endoderm give rise to extra-embryonic structures with important roles in embryo patterning and nutrition. Dramatic changes in gene expression occur during early embryo development and these require regulation at different levels. miRNAs are small non coding RNAs that have emerged over the last decade as important post-transcriptional repressors of gene expression. The roles played by miRNAs during early mammalian development are only starting to be elucidated. In order to gain insight into the function of miRNAs in the different lineages of the early mouse embryo we have analysed in depth the phenotype of embryos and extra-embryonic stem cells mutant for the miRNA maturation protein Dicer. This study revealed that miRNAs are involved in regulating cell signaling and homeostasis in the early embryo. Specifically, we identified a role for miRNAs in regulating the Erk signaling pathway in the extra-embryonic endoderm, cell cycle progression in extra-embryonic tissues and apoptosis in the epiblast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Developmental Biology, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pernaute
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spruce
authors.forename: Tristan A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manzanares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004707:Endoderm / Q000502:physiology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005855:Germ Layers / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; C509781:Dicer1 protein, mouse; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases