title: Chronic methamphetamine regulates the expression of MicroRNAs and putative target genes in the nucleus accumbens of mice.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are modulators of gene expression that play key regulatory roles in distinct cellular processes. Methamphetamine (METH) induces various aberrant changes in the limbic system by affecting a complex gene regulatory mechanism, yet the involvement of miRNAs in the effects of METH exposure remains unclear. This study identifies METH-responsive miRNAs and their potential effects in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of mice. Using miRNA sequencing, we examined the expression of miRNAs in the NAc of saline- and METH-treated mice and identified 45 known miRNAs to be METH responsive. Additionally, we identified two novel miRNA candidates that were METH responsive (novel-m002C and novel-m009C). Our target prediction analysis suggested that the known METH-regulated miRNAs might target genes that are involved in cellular autophagy, cellular metabolism, and immune responses and that the novel METH-regulated miRNA candidates might target genes that are related to drug addiction. We also matched the predicted targets of METH-regulated miRNAs with the NAc messenger RNA expression profile, revealing eight putative METH-regulated target genes (Arc, Capn9, Gbp5, Lefty1, Patl2, Pde4c, Strc, and Vmn1r58). Thus, METH triggers an alteration in NAc miRNA expression, which could contribute to METH-induced changes in neuron autophagy, metabolism, and immune responses. The differential expression of putative target genes suggests their involvement following exposure to METH.
authors.affiliation: College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Genomics Institute, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanjiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Genomics Institute, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sisi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yonghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.|The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016678:Genome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C092069:activity regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein; D008694:Methamphetamine
keywords: RNA-Seq; RRIDs; methamphetamine; microRNA; target genes