title: MicroRNA-152 regulates DNA methyltransferase 1 and is involved in the development and lactation of mammary glands in dairy cows.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding, endogenous regulatory RNAs that function by controlling gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Using small RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR techniques, we found that the expression of miR-152 was significantly increased during lactation in the mammary glands of dairy cows producing high quality milk compared with that in cows producing low quality milk. Furthermore, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), which is a target of miR-152, was inversely correlated with the expression levels of miR-152 in the mammary glands of dairy cows. Dairy cow mammary epithelial cells (DCMECs) were used as in vitro cell models to study the function of miR-152. The forced expression of miR-152 in DCMECs resulted in a marked reduction of DNMT1 at both mRNA and protein levels. This in turn led to a decrease in global DNA methylation and increased the expression of two lactation-related genes, serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (Akt) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparγ). In contrast, inhibition of miR-152 showed the opposite results. By using an electronic Coulter counter (CASY-TT) and flow cytometer, we discovered that miR-152 enhanced the viability and multiplication capacity of DCMECs. In conclusion, miR-152 plays an important role in the development and lactation processes in the mammary glands of dairy cows. Our data provide insights into dairy cow mammary gland development and lactation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yanjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Zhuoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Qingzhang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science of Education Ministry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation; D007785:Lactose / Q000378:metabolism; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D047495:PPAR gamma; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014280:Triglycerides; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C000619380:DNMT1 protein, human; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D007785:Lactose