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The Journal of Neuroscience, November 12, 2008, 28(46):11883-11889; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4114-08.2008

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Neurobiology of Disease
The Steady-State Level of the Nervous-System-Specific MicroRNA-124a Is Regulated by dFMR1 in Drosophila

Xia-Lian Xu, ^* Yan Li, ^* Fay Wang, and Fen-Biao Gao

Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158

Correspondence should be addressed to Fen-Biao Gao, Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158. Email: fgao{at}gladstone.ucsf.edu

Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited mental retardation caused by loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein 1 (FMRP). The detailed molecular pathways underlying the pathogenesis of this disorder remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that miR-124a, a nervous-system-specific miRNA, is associated with the Drosophila homolog of FMRP (dFMR1) in vivo. Ectopic expression of wild-type but not mutant miR-124a precursors decreased dendritic branching of dendritic arborization sensory neurons, which was partially rescued by the loss of dFMR1 activity, suggesting that the biogenesis and/or function of miR-124a are partially dependent on dFMR1. Indeed, in contrast with the complete loss of mature miR-124a in Dicer-1 mutants, steady-state levels of endogenous or ectopically expressed mature miR-124a were partially reduced in dfmr1 mutants, whereas the level of pre-miR-124a increased. This effect could be explained in part by the reduced abundance of the Dicer-1-Ago1 complex in the absence of dFMR1. These findings suggest a modulatory role for dFMR1 to maintain proper levels of miRNAs during neuronal development.

Key words: miR-124a; processing; Drosophila; fragile X syndrome; dendrites; RNA

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Received Aug. 28, 2008; revised Sept. 24, 2008; accepted Sept. 26, 2008.

Correspondence should be addressed to Fen-Biao Gao, Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158. Email: fgao{at}gladstone.ucsf.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Chang, S. Wen, D. Chen, and P. Jin Small regulatory RNAs in neurodevelopmental disorders Hum. Mol. Genet., April 15, 2009; 18(R1): R18 - R26. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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