Distinct microRNA expression signatures in human right atrial and ventricular myocardium

Abstract

Human atrial and ventricular myocardium has distinct structure and physiology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the central players in the regulation of gene expression, participating in many physiological processes. A comprehensive knowledge of miRNA expression in the human heart is essential for the understanding of myocardial function. The aim of this study was to compare the miRNA signature in human right atrial and ventricular myocardium. Agilent human miRNA arrays were used to indicate the miRNA expression signatures of the right atrial (n = 8) and ventricular (n = 9) myocardium of healthy individuals. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCRs) were used to validate the array results. DIANA-mirPath was used to incorporate the miRNAs into pathways. MiRNA arrays showed that 169 miRNAs were expressed at different levels in human right atrial and ventricular myocardium. The unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis based on the 169 dysregulated miRNAs showed that miRNA expression categorized two well-defined clusters that corresponded to human right atrial and ventricular myocardium. The qRT-PCR results correlated well with the microarray data. Bioinformatic analysis indicated the potential miRNA targets and molecular pathways. This study indicates that distinct miRNA expression signatures in human right atrial and ventricular myocardium. The findings provide a novel understanding of the molecular differences between human atrial and ventricular myocardium and may establish a framework for an anatomically detailed evaluation of cardiac function regulation.