ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, naturally occurring, and noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at post-transcript stage. Although miRNAs have been implicated in the regulation of diverse biologic processes, little is known about miRNAs and targets that underlie in the kidney and glomerular development. Here we define the miRNA and target expression pattern in glomerular development from embryonic stage to mature stage by using miRNA, mRNA array, bioinformatics, and molecular techniques. The results indicate that in comparison to developed glomeruli, miRNAs are dierently expressed in developing glomeruli, and therefore, this could clearly separate subtype of immature and mature glomeruli. The targets predicted from miRNAs were further compared with genes that were analyzed from mRNA array data. A total of 1264 genes, whose function being relevant to cellular development, was shared in both miRNA and mRNA data. Finally, miR-222 and target gene NPM1 were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western Blotting (WB). Our data indicate that miRNA and target gene profiles may not only aid in discriminating between dierent stages of glomerular development, but may also represent novel therapeutic targets for innate and acquired kidney glomerular disease.1
