title: Dynamic changes in microRNA expression during differentiation of rat cochlear progenitor cells in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cochlear progenitor cells could be used to explore the cochlea developmental mechanism and for cell replacement therapy in deafness. MicroRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that could regulate the cell fate of stem cells, as well as cellular proliferation, differentiation and maturation. An expression profile analysis of microRNAs is necessary to understand their complex roles in differentiating cochlear progenitor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The microRNAs microarray was used to analyze microRNA expression changes while differentiating cochlear progenitor cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm and compare the results of the microarray and to detect the expression pattern of several microRNAs during the differentiation of neural stem cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 100 microRNAs were identified from the microarray. Most showed changes in expression levels as cochlear progenitor cell differentiation progressed. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction result demonstrated that the miR-183 family exhibits cell-specific expression in cochlear progenitor cells compared with neural stem cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The temporal regulation of these microRNAs indicated that they might play different roles in differentiating cochlear progenitor cells, and that specific microRNAs might influence the cell fate determination of cochlear progenitor cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Changlexilu 15, Xi'an 710032, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Renyi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hei
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003051:Cochlea / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D023421:Models, Animal; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs