title: miR-124, miR-125b, let-7 and vesicle transport proteins in squid lenses in L. pealei.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies over the past several decades identified parallels between neuron and lens fiber cell morphology, development, and physiology. Consistent with this, mammalian lens fiber cells were shown to express a substantial complement of genes that cluster with respect to synaptic vesicle transport and exocytosis. Expression of these genes in these two cell types also appears consistent with similarities described between lens fiber cell lateral protrusions and neuronal dendrites. Recently, we showed vertebrate neurons and lens fiber cells share expression of a core set of factors that form an interlocking regulatory network which has a fundamental role in determining neural cell identity. These included the REST/NRSF transcription factor, neural RNA binding proteins and miR-124. In addition, we identified miR-125 and let-7 in mammalian lenses that have been shown to regulate dendrite formation in neurons. The present study examined expression of miR-124, miR-125, and let-7 as well as genes involved in vesicle transport in lens in the squid Loligo (also referred to as Doryteuthis) pealei.
  
  
  METHODS
  Northern blot, RT-PCR, immunoblots, and in situ detection were used to analyze expression in squid and vertebrate tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present study provided evidence that miR-124, miR-125, let-7 and vesicle transport-related proteins are produced in squid lenses. Consistent with these mRNAs and miRNAs in squid lenses, and polyribosomes shown by others, we detected substantial levels of tRNA and rRNA in anuclear squid lenses which do not produce an epithelial cell layer that would be analogous to vertebrate lenses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provided evidence that miR-124, miR-125, and let-7, as well as proteins involved in vesicle transport linked with synaptic and cargo vesicle transport in vertebrates are also expressed in squid lenses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Physiology and the Rutgers-UMDNJ Integrative Neurosciences Program, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Claudine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bitel
authors.forename: Vir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Frederikse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D049834:Loligo; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000235:genetics; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C548144:MIRN124 microRNA, rat; D035683:MicroRNAs; C527468:Mirn125 microRNA, mouse; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; C542687:mirnlet7 microRNA, mouse; D012313:RNA