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Microarray profiling of microRNAs expressed in testis tissues of developing primates

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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that have been identified as potent regulators of gene expression. Recent studies indicate that miRNAs are involved in mammalian spermatogenesis but the mechanism of regulation is largely unknown.

Methods

miRNA microarray was employed to compare miRNA expression profiles of testis tissues from immature rhesus monkey (Sample IR), mature rhesus monkey (Sample MR), and mature human (Sample MH). Real-time RT-PCR was uesd to confirm the changed miRNAs.

Results

Twenty-six miRNAs were shared by samples IR/MR and IR/MH with differential expression patterns greater than three-fold difference. PicTar and TargetScan prediction tools predicted a number of target mRNAs, and some of these target genes predicted by miRNAs have been shown to associate with spermatogenesis.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that miRNAs are extensively involved in spermatogenesis and provide additional information for further studies of spermatogenetic mechanisms.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Xuyang Liu (Laboratory of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital) for many helpful discussions during this work and Lei Chen (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK) for his editorial assistance. This work was supported by National Program of High-tech Research and Development (863 Program) (grant no. 2008AA02Z102), National Nature Science Foundation of China (grant no. 90408025, 30500186 and 30770812) and Trans-Century Training Programme Foundation for the Talents by the Ministry of Education of China (grant no. NCET-07-0580). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that would prejudice the impartiality of this scientific work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Genetics, West China Hospital, Division of Human Morbid Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China

    Naihong Yan, Yilu Lu, Huaqin Sun, Weimin Qiu, Dachang Tao, Yunqiang Liu, Huijiao Chen, Yuan Yang, Sizhong Zhang, Xiang Li & Yongxin Ma

  2. Laboratory of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China

    Naihong Yan

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  1. Naihong Yan
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  2. Yilu Lu
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Correspondence to Yongxin Ma.

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Capsule

This work, based on microRNA microarray assay and qRT-PCR assay, predicted genes associated with spermatogenesis by microRNA analysis.

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Yan, N., Lu, Y., Sun, H. et al. Microarray profiling of microRNAs expressed in testis tissues of developing primates. J Assist Reprod Genet 26, 179–186 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-009-9305-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-009-9305-y

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