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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #290259
Title: Identification and characterization of MicroRNAs expressed in chicken skeletal muscle

Author
item ANDREOTE, ANA PAULA DINA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item ROSARIO, MILLOR - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item LEDUR, MONICA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item JORGE, ERIKA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item Sonstegard, Tad
item MATUKUMALLI, LAKSHMI - National Institute Of Food And Agriculture (NIFA)
item COUNTINHO, LUIZ - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)

Submitted to: Genetics and Molecular Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2013
Publication Date: 3/6/2014
Citation: Andreote, A., Rosario, M.F., Ledur, M.C., Jorge, E.C., Sonstegard, T.S., Matukumalli, L., Countinho, L.L. 2014. Identification and characterization of MicroRNAs expressed in chicken skeletal muscle. Genetics and Molecular Research. 13(1):1465-1479.

Interpretive Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) encompass a class of small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression. Because microRNAs play an essential role in skeletal muscle, this study sought to isolate microRNAs from chicken muscle in an attempt to determine which microRNAs in chicken may be important for meat production. Three specific microRNAs were found important for muscle development in growth. By comparing heavy and lightly muscled chickens (broiler and layer), it was also found that a specific microRNA (miR-206) may be important in greater meat production associated with broiler chickens. This information will be used to guide future studies to investigate whether microRNAs like miR-206 can be used to promote more lean growth in chickens.

Technical Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) encompass a class of small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression. MicroRNAs play an essential role in skeletal muscle, determining the proper development and maintenance of this tissue. In comparison to other organs and tissues, the full set of muscle miRNAs and its expression patterns are still poorly understood. In the present report, a chicken skeletal muscle miRNA library was constructed, and selected miRNAs were further characterized by expression profile during muscle development in chicken lines with distinct muscling phenotype. Clone library sequence analysis revealed 40 small RNAs with similarities to previously described chicken miRNAs, seven miRNAs never before identified in chicken, and some sequence clusters representing possible novel miRNAs. Temporal expression profiles of three miRNAs associated with cell proliferation and differentiation (miR-125b, miR-221and miR-206) in two chicken lines (broiler and layer) revealed the regulation of these miRs during skeletal muscle growth and suggests that miR-206 is involved in the muscling phenotype observed in growth selected chicken lines.