miR-21a inhibits decidual cell apoptosis by targeting Pdcd4

Publication date: Available online 5 October 2019Source: Genes & DiseasesAuthor(s): Rong Li, Yi-xian Wen, Yan-qing Geng, Yong-jiang Zhou, Yue Zhang, Yu-bin Ding, Xue-mei Chen, Ru-fei Gao, Jun-lin He, Ying-xiong Wang, Xue-qing LiuAbstractDecidualization of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) accompanied with embryo implantation is a key process in mammalian reproduction. Evidence suggests that maintenance of decidual cells function is essential. As a critical part in post-transcriptional gene regulation, microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) have been confirmed to be involved in decidualization. However, whether microRNAs regulate decidual cells function has not been reported. Aiming to clarify the role and potential mechanism of miRNAs in decidual cells, artificial induced decidualization model in mice was established. There are 94 differentially expressed miRNAs (≥two-fold change) between decidualized and non-decidualized tissues, including 60 upregulated and 34 downregulated miRNAs. Of the differentially expressed miRNAs, mmu-miR-21a is up-regulated. RT-qPCR also confirmed the up-regulation of mmu-miR-21a following decidualization in vivo and in vitro, and bioinformatic analysis and luciferase activity assay revealed Pdcd4 to be the target gene of mmu-miR-21a. Inhibition of mmu-miR-21a restrained secretory function of decidual cells induced by mESCs, accompanied with increase of Pdcd4 expression and resulted in the increase of cell apoptosis. In addition, we also determined the expression ...
Source: Genes and Diseases - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research