Journal
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
Volume 19, Issue 7, Pages 848-852Publisher
SPRINGERNATURE
DOI: 10.1038/mp.2013.93
Keywords
brain development; gene expression; microRNA; sex differences
Funding
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH
- Baylor College of Medicine Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
- NIH-Oxford/Cambridge Biomedical Scholars Program
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We present a spatio-temporal assessment of microRNA (miRNA) expression throughout early human brain development. We assessed the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of 18 normal human donor brains spanning infancy through adolescence by RNA-seq. We discovered differentially expressed miRNAs and broad miRNA patterns across both temporal and spatial dimensions, and between male and female prefrontal cortex. Putative target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, which demonstrated functional enrichment for transcription regulation, synaptogenesis and other basic intracellular processes. Sex-biased miRNAs also targeted genes related to Wnt and transforming growth factor-beta pathways. The differentially expressed miRNA targets were highly enriched for gene sets related to autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, but not neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy or other adult-onset psychiatric diseases. Our results suggest critical roles for the identified miRNAs in transcriptional networks of the developing human brain and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available