MiR-27a suppresses triglyceride accumulation and affects gene mRNA expression associated with fat metabolism in dairy goat mammary gland epithelial cells.

Xian-Zi Lin, Jun Luo, Li-Ping Zhang, Wei Wang, Heng-Bo Shi, Jiang-Jiang Zhu

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.

Gene 2013 May 25

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MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a well-defined group of small RNAs containing about 22 nucleotides, participate in various biological metabolic processes. miR-27a is a miRNA that is known to regulate fat synthesis and differentiation in preadipocyte cells. However, little is known regarding the role that miR-27a plays in regulating goat milk fat synthesis. In this study, we determined the miR-27a expression profile in goat mammary gland and found that miR-27a expression was correlated with the lactation cycle. Additionally, prolactin promoted miR-27a expression in goat mammary gland epithelial cells. Further functional analysis showed that over-expression of miR-27a down-regulated triglyceride accumulation and decreased the ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acid in mammary gland epithelial cells. miR-27a also significantly affected mRNA expression related to milk fat metabolism. Specifically, over-expression of miR-27a reduced gene mRNA expression associated with triglyceride synthesis by suppressing PPARγ protein levels. This study provides the first experimental evidence that miR-27a regulates triglyceride synthesis in goat mammary gland epithelial cells and improves our understanding about the importance of miRNAs in milk fat synthesis. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Xian-Zi Lin, Jun Luo, Li-Ping Zhang, Wei Wang, Heng-Bo Shi, Jiang-Jiang Zhu. MiR-27a suppresses triglyceride accumulation and affects gene mRNA expression associated with fat metabolism in dairy goat mammary gland epithelial cells. Gene. 2013 May 25;521(1):15-23