Increased expression of miR-34a in mouse spleen one day after exposure to N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of single-stranded small RNA molecules (~22 nucleotides) that are not translated into proteins and function as regulators of gene expression. Many miRNAs are involved in carcinogenesis. One of them, miR-34a, is associated with various p53-initiated biological processes and may act as a tumor suppressor miRNA. Its expression is generally down-regulated in tumor tissues and up-regulated in tissues exposed to carcinogens chronically or subchronically. However, the response of this miRNA to acute exposure of a genotoxic carcinogen is little known. In this study, miR-34a expression was evaluated in spleen tissues of mice treated with a dose of 120 mg kg(-1) body weight N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), a potent mutagenic carcinogen. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the ENU exposure resulted in a 5.5-fold increase of miR-34a expression over the control one day after the treatment. The result suggests that miR-34a expression responds sensitively to genotoxic insults within a short period after exposure of the mutagen, and therefore, this gene has the potential to be used as an indicator for genotoxin exposure.
Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, AR 72206, USA.
David
D
Chen
Zhiguang
Z
Li
Tao
T
Chen
D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D000477:Alkylating Agents; D002273:Carcinogens; C551848:MIRN34a microRNA, mouse; D035683:MicroRNAs; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea