Dynamic expression of specific miRNAs during erythroid differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional levels through mRNA degradation or translation inhibition. Little is known regarding miRNA participation in regulating hematopoietic, or more specifically erythroid differentiation. This study was aimed at identifying erythroid lineage-specific miRNAs expressed during in vitro erythropoiesis using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human umbilical cord blood (CB) CD34+ cells. CD34+ hematopoietic cells were produced from hESCs in vitro and subsequently induced to differentiate into erythroid cells by culture in sequence on OP9 feeder cells and then with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in the presence of cytokines. Expression profiles of erythroid lineage-specific miRNAs were analyzed by quantitative PCR during in vitro differentiation. Expression levels of miR-142-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-146a and miR-451 were dynamically changed during differentiation of hESCs to CD34+ hematopoietic cells, and in subsequent differentiation of the CD34+ cells into the erythroid lineage. This suggests that these four miRNAs might be involved in regulating erythropoiesis.