mir-234 controls neuropeptide release at the Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junction

Publication date: Available online 12 June 2019Source: Molecular and Cellular NeuroscienceAuthor(s): Goda Snieckute, Oguzhan Baltaci, Haowen Liu, Lei Li, Zhitao Hu, Roger PocockAbstractmiR-137 is a highly conserved microRNA (miRNA) that is associated with the control of brain function and the etiology of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes a single miR-137 ortholog called mir-234, the function of which is unknown. Here we show that mir-234 is expressed in a subset of sensory, motor and interneurons in C. elegans. Using a mir-234 deletion strain, we systematically examined the development and function of these neurons in addition to global C. elegans behaviors. We were however unable to detect phenotypes associated with loss of mir-234, possibly due to genetic redundancy. To circumvent this issue, we overexpressed mir-234 in mir-234-expressing neurons to uncover possible phenotypes. We found that mir-234-overexpression endows resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, suggesting modification of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) function. Further analysis revealed that mir-234 controls neuropeptide levels, therefore positing a cause of NMJ dysfunction. Together, our data suggest that mir-234 functions to control the expression of target genes that are important for neuropeptide maturation and/or transport in C. elegans.Significance statementThe miR-137 family of miRNAs is linked to the control ...
Source: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research