title: A MicroRNA-Mediated Insulin Signaling Pathway Regulates the Toxicity of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: The underlying mechanisms for functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating toxicity of nanomaterials are largely unclear. Using Illumina HiSeq(TM) 2000 sequencing technique, we obtained the dysregulated mRNA profiling in multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) exposed nematodes. Some dysregulated genes encode insulin signaling pathway. Genetic experiments confirmed the functions of these dysregulated genes in regulating MWCNTs toxicity. In the insulin signaling pathway, DAF-2/insulin receptor regulated MWCNTs toxicity by suppressing function of DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor. Moreover, we raised a miRNAs-mRNAs network involved in the control of MWCNTs toxicity. In this network, mir-355 might regulate MWCNTs toxicity by inhibiting functions of its targeted gene of daf-2, suggesting that mir-355 may regulate functions of the entire insulin signaling pathway by acting as an upregulator of DAF-2, the initiator of insulin signaling pathway, in MWCNTs exposed nematodes. Our results provides highlight on understanding the crucial role of miRNAs in regulating toxicity of nanomaterials in organisms.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Yunli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.|College of Life Sciences and Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou 404000, China.
authors.forename: Junnian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Dayong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000070416:Antagomirs / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000633:toxicity*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000070416:Antagomirs; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D007328:Insulin; D035683:MicroRNAs; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C108831:daf-16 protein, C elegans; D011972:Receptor, Insulin