Identification of aberrant microRNA expression pattern in pediatric gliomas by microarray.
BACKGROUND
Brain tumor remains the leading cause of disease-related death in children. Many studies have focused on the complex biological process involved in pediatric brain tumors but little is know about the possible role of microRNAs in the genesis of these tumors.


METHODS
In this study, we used a microRNA microarray assay to study the expression pattern of microRNAs in pediatric gliomas and matched normal tissues.


RESULTS
We found 40 differentially expressed microRNAs, among which miR-1321, miR-513b, miR-769-3p were found be related to cancer genesis for the first time. The expression of selected microRNAs were then confirmed by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, GO and pathway analysis showed that the target genes of the 40 differentially expressed microRNAs were significantly enriched in nervous system-related and tumor-related biological processes and signaling pathways. Additionally, an apoptosis-related network of microRNA-mRNA interaction, representing the critical microRNAs and their targets, was constructed based on microRNA status.


CONCLUSIONS
In the present study we identified the changed expression pattern of microRNAs in pediatric gliamas. Our study also provides a better understanding of pediatric brain tumor biology and may assist in the development of less toxic therapies and in the search for better markers for disease stratification.
The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1323049861105720.
Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 294 Taiyuan Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China. majie365@163.com.
Fatao
F
Liu
Yuyu
Y
Xiong
Yang
Y
Zhao
Liming
L
Tao
Zhou
Z
Zhang
Hong
H
Zhang
Yun
Y
Liu
Guoyin
G
Feng
Baojie
B
Li
Lin
L
He
Jie
J
Ma
Shengying
S
Qin
Yifeng
Y
Yang
D000367:Age Factors; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D063990:Gene Ontology; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs