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Conserved microRNAs may regulate limb regeneration in evolutionarily distant species

Regeneration in amphibian and ray-finned fish species may involve conserved microRNAs, indicate potential common regulatory process

Date:
June 29, 2016
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Several conserved microRNAs, or short, highly conserved noncoding RNAs that are targeted to and inhibit expression of specific genes, may be involved in the regulation of limb regeneration across evolutionarily distant species.
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Several conserved microRNAs, or short, highly conserved noncoding RNAs that are targeted to and inhibit expression of specific genes, may be involved in the regulation of limb regeneration across evolutionarily distant species, according to a study published June 29, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Benjamin King and Viravuth Yin from Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory and the University of Maine.

Although there are species throughout the animal kingdom capable of regeneration in some capacity, this defining characteristic is not equally distributed throughout evolution. Unlike mammals, some amphibian and fish species have the ability to regenerate fully functional tissue or appendages after loss, including bone, muscle, nerves, and blood vessels. While it is known that this regeneration requires the formation of an unspecialized tissue known as "blastemal," little is known about the genetic regulation of blastema formation.

To determine whether the genetic control of blastema formation may be conserved across species, the authors of this study conducted RNA sequencing of regenerating limb tissues from three evolutionarily distant species, one salamander and two ray-finned fish, at various times following amputation, when regeneration may be occurring.

The authors found a core group of conserved microRNAs and their posited target genes that may be involved in regulation of blastema formation in all three species, including some microRNAs not previously known to act in regeneration.


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Journal Reference:

  1. Benjamin L. King, Viravuth P. Yin. A Conserved MicroRNA Regulatory Circuit Is Differentially Controlled during Limb/Appendage Regeneration. PLOS ONE, 2016; 11 (6): e0157106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157106

Cite This Page:

PLOS. "Conserved microRNAs may regulate limb regeneration in evolutionarily distant species." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160629145154.htm>.
PLOS. (2016, June 29). Conserved microRNAs may regulate limb regeneration in evolutionarily distant species. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160629145154.htm
PLOS. "Conserved microRNAs may regulate limb regeneration in evolutionarily distant species." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160629145154.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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