Stem-loop Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR Research Articles

Profiling of Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus–responsive microRNA and their targets in tomato based on deep sequencing

Tomato, an extensively cultivated vegetable crop produces miRNAs in response to infection with Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus, a viral pathogen causing significant economic losses. High-throughput miRNA sequencing was performed on tomato leaves inoculated with GBNV and mock-inoculated leaves as controls. Analysis revealed 73 known miRNAs belonging to 24 miRNA families, with variable expression levels. Interestingly, 39 miRNAs were upregulated, and 34 were downregulated in response to GBNV infection. Stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR validated the differential expression of selected miRNAs. Additionally, 30 miRNA encoded proteins were identified to be involved in disease resistance and susceptibility. The miRNA-target interactions were found to play significant roles in cellular and metabolic activities, as well as modulating signaling pathways during the plant-virus interaction. The findings shed light on the intricate regulatory network of miRNAs in tomato response to viral infection and may contribute to developing strategies for improving crop protection against viral diseases.

Global survey of miRNAs and tRNA-derived small RNAs from the human parasitic protist Trichomonas vaginalis

BackgroundSmall non-coding RNAs play critical regulatory roles in post-transcription. However, their characteristics in Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative agent of human sexually transmitted trichomoniasis, still remain to be determined.MethodsSmall RNA transcriptomes from Trichomonas trophozoites were deep sequenced using the Illumina NextSeq 500 system and comprehensively analyzed to identify Trichomonas microRNAs (miRNAs) and transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). The tsRNA candidates were confirmed by stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and motifs to guide the cleavage of tsRNAs were predicted using the GLAM2 algorithm.ResultsThe miRNAs were found to be present in T. vaginalis but at an extremely low abundance (0.0046%). Three categories of endogenous Trichomonas tsRNAs were identified, namely 5′tritsRNAs, mid-tritsRNAs and 3′tritsRNAs, with the 5′tritsRNAs constituting the dominant category (67.63%) of tsRNAs. Interestingly, the cleavage site analysis verified both conventional classes of tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA-halves in tritsRNAs, indicating the expression of tRNA-halves in the non-stress condition. A total of 25 tritsRNAs were experimentally confirmed, accounting for 78.1% of all tested candidates. Three motifs were predicted to guide the production of tritsRNAs. The results prove the expression of tRFs and tRNA-halves in the T. vaginalis transcriptome.ConclusionsThis is the first report of genome-wide investigation of small RNAs, particularly tsRNAs and miRNAs, from Trichomonas parasites. Our findings demonstrate the expression profile of tsRNAs in T. vaginalis, while miRNA was barely detected. These results may promote further research aimed at gaining a better understanding of the evolution of small non-coding RNA in T. vaginalis and their functions in the pathogenesis of trichomoniasis.Graphical

Bioinformatically-predicted varicella zoster virus small non-coding RNAs are expressed in lytically-infected epithelial cells and neurons

Most herpesviruses use both host and viral small non-coding RNAs (sncRNA), especially microRNA, to modulate infection. Bioinformatic analyses of NGS data obtained from Varicella Zoster virus (VZV)-infected cells predicted 24 VZVsncRNA, seven of which were confirmed to be expressed in infected fibroblasts and neurons using stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR (SL-PCR). We here assayed for the expression of all 24 of the bioinformatically predicted VZVsncRNA in cells productively infected by VZV using SL-PCR. 23 of the 24 predicted sequences were detected in VZV-infected ARPE19 cells and 19 of the 24 sequences in infected human neurons generated by two methods from embryonic stem cells. We also show that blocking one of two newly-tested VZV-encoded sncRNA using locked nucleotide antagonists significantly increased viral replication. These findings suggest that further study of VZV encoded sncRNA could elucidate an additional level of regulation of the life cycle of this pathogenic human herpesvirus.

Identification and Characterization of MicroRNAs in the Goat (Capra hircus) Rumen during Embryonic Development

The rumen is an important digestive organ in ruminants. Numerous regulatory factors including microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in embryonic organ development. In the present study, miRNAs expressed in the rumens of goats (Capra hircus) and their potential roles in the pathways involved in rumen development were identified using high-throughput sequencing. Histological morphology revealed a distinct difference in each layer of rumen during the period from embryonic day 60 (E60) to embryonic day 135 (E135). We determined the expression profiles of miRNAs in the goat rumen, and identified 423 known miRNAs and 559 potentially novel miRNAs in the E60 and E135 embryonic rumen, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis annotated the 42 differentially expressed miRNAs and the top 10 most highly expressed miRNAs of the two libraries to 48 and 38 gene ontology categories, as well as to 168 and 71 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, respectively. The expression patterns of eight randomly selected miRNAs were validated by stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR, suggesting that the sequencing data were reliable. We profiled the genome-wide expression of rumen-expressed miRNAs at different prenatal stages of rumen tissues, revealing that a subset of miRNAs might play important roles in the formation of the rumen layers. Taken together, these findings will aid the investigation of dominant rumen-related miRNA sets and help understand the genetic control of rumen development in goats.

Global miRNA expression profiling of domestic cat livers following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection

Although microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in liver homeostasis, the extent to which they can be altered by Toxoplasma gondii infection is unknown. Here, we utilized small RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses to characterize miRNA expression profiles in the liver of domestic cats at 7 days after oral infection with T. gondii (Type II) strain. A total of 384 miRNAs were identified and 82 were differentially expressed, of which 33 were up-regulated and 49 down-regulated. Also, 5690 predicted host gene targets for the differentially expressed miRNAs were identified using the bioinformatic algorithm miRanda. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the predicted gene targets of the dysregulated miRNAs were significantly enriched in apoptosis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the predicted gene targets were involved in several pathways, including acute myeloid leukemia, central carbon metabolism in cancer, choline metabolism in cancer, estrogen signaling pathway, fatty acid degradation, lysosome, nucleotide excision repair, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, and VEGF signaling pathway. The expression level of 6 upregulated miRNAs (mmu-miR-21a-5p, mmu-miR-20a-5p, mmu-miR-17-5p, mmu-miR-30e-3p, mmu-miR-142a-3p, and mmu-miR-106b-3p) was confirmed by stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR, which yielded results consistent with the sequencing data. These findings expand our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs underlying T. gondii pathogenesis and contribute new database information on cat miRNAs, opening a new perspective on the prevention and treatment of T. gondii infection.

Stem-Loop RT-qPCR as an Efficient Tool for the Detection and Quantification of Small RNAs in Giardia lamblia.

Stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) is a molecular technique used for identification and quantification of individual small RNAs in cells. In this work, we used a Universal ProbeLibrary (UPL)-based design to detect—in a rapid, sensitive, specific, and reproducible way—the small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) GlsR17 and its derived miRNA (miR2) of Giardia lamblia using a stem-loop RT-qPCR approach. Both small RNAs could be isolated from both total RNA and small RNA samples. Identification of the two small RNAs was carried out by sequencing the PCR-amplified small RNA products upon ligation into the pJET1.2/blunt vector. GlsR17 is constitutively expressed during the 72 h cultures of trophozoites, while the mature miR2 is present in 2-fold higher abundance during the first 48 h than at 72 h. Because it has been suggested that miRNAs in G. lamblia have an important role in the regulation of gene expression, the use of the stem-loop RT-qPCR method could be valuable for the study of miRNAs of G. lamblia. This methodology will be a powerful tool for studying gene regulation in G. lamblia, and will help to better understand the features and functions of these regulatory molecules and how they work within the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in G. lamblia.

Similar Responses of Circulating MicroRNAs to Acute High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Vigorous-Intensity Continuous Exercise.

High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has been reported to be more beneficial for physical adaptation than low-to-moderate exercise intensity. Recently, it is becoming increasingly evident that circulating miRNAs (c-miRNAs) may distinguish between specific stress signals imposed by variations in the duration, modality, and type of exercise. The aim of this study is to investigate whether or not HIIE is superior to vigorous-intensity continuous exercise (VICE), which is contributing to develop effective fitness assessment. Twenty-six young males were enrolled, and plasma samples were collected prior to exercise and immediately after HIIE or distance-matched VICE. The miRNA level profiles in HIIE were initially determined using TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA). And the differentially miRNAs levels were validated by stem-loop quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, these selective c-miRNAs were measured for VICE. Our results showed that some muscle-related miRNAs levels in the plasma, such as miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b, and miR-206 significantly increased following HIIE or VICE compared to those at rest (P < 0.05), and there was only a significant reduction in miR-1 level for HIIE compared to VICE (P < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed for other muscle-related miRNAs between both exercises (P > 0.05). In addition, some tissue-related or unknown original miRNA levels, such as miR-485-5p, miR-509-5p, miR-517a, miR-518f, miR-520f, miR-522, miR-553, and miR-888, also significantly increased (P < 0.05) in both exercises compared to rest. However, no significant differences were found between both exercises (P > 0.05). Overall, endurance exercise assessed in this study both led to significant increases in selective c-miRNAs of comparable magnitude, suggesting that both types of endurance exercise have general stress processes. Accordingly, the similar responses to both acute exercises likely indicate both exercises can be used interchangeably. Further work is needed to reveal the functional significance and signaling mechanisms behind changes in c-miRNA turnover during exercise.

Serum miR-23a, a potential biomarker for diagnosis of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D); they regulate several metabolic pathways including insulin secretion, glucose homeostasis, so their potential as biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis has became increasingly appreciated. In this study, we explore serum miRNA profiles in T2D patients. A total of ten candidate miRNAs were identified by Solexa sequencing scanning and followed by a stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) to assess these candidate serum miRNAs. The results of qRT-PCR assessment revealed low serum levels of miR-23a, let-7i, miR-486, miR-96, miR-186, miR-191, miR-192, and miR-146a in T2D. Except for significantly lower in T2D and pre-diabetes patients compared with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) controls (P=2.87E-05 and P=3.75E-02), the levels of miR-23a demonstrated also significant decline in T2D patients compared with pre-diabetes patients (P=1.06E-02). This marker yielded an AUC of 0.835 (95% CI 0.717-0.954). At a cutoff value of 1.645, the sensitivity was 79.2% and the specificity was 75.0% in discriminating T2D patients from NGT normal controls. These results revealed that serum miR-23a was a valuable biomarker for early detection of T2D and pre-diabetes with NGT.

Circulating microRNA expressions in colorectal cancer as predictors of response to chemotherapy

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in the Western world. Chemotherapy has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with CRC; however, only selected patients would benefit from this treatment. We aimed to identify predictors of response to chemotherapy in CRC using circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). We studied differential miRNA expression by miRNA array from serum of 253 patients who had chemotherapy treatment. We screened the differentially expressed serum miRNAs with TaqMan low-density arrays using pooled CRC patient serum samples. Differential expression was validated using hydrolysis probe-based stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription PCR in individual samples. We performed additional unsupervised cluster to analyse the differential expression of serum miRNA between the chemosensitive and chemoresistant patients. A distinct miRNA expression signature in response to chemotherapy was identified. The TaqMan low-density array results demonstrated that 17 serum miRNAs could predict chemosensitivity and chemoresistance. The quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis further identified a profile of five serum miRNAs (miR-20a, miR-130, miR-145, miR-216 and miR-372) as a biomarker for predicting the chemosensitivity of CRC. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of this five-serum miRNA signature were 0.841 and 0.918 for the two sets of serum samples, respectively. We identified a group of miRNA predictors in response to chemosensitivity for CRC patients. This could lead to a significant improvement in chemotherapy regimen selection strategy and personalized CRC management.

MiR-15a and miR-16 affect the angiogenesis of multiple myeloma by targeting VEGF

Deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) and their roles in cancer development have attracted much attention. Two miRNAs, miR-15a and miR-16, which act as putative tumor suppressor by targeting the oncogene BCL2, have been implicated in cell cycle, apoptosis and proliferation. In this study, we investigated the possible role of miR-15a/16 in the angiogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). Using a stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, we analyzed miR-15a/16 expressions in bone marrow samples from newly diagnosed MM patients and a panel of MM cell lines. miRNA transfection, western blotting analysis and assay of luciferase activity were used to examine whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the target of miR-15a/16. The functional roles of miR-15a/16 on tumorigenesis and angiogenesis were examined by in vitro angiogenesis models and in vivo tumor xenograft model. We showed that miR-15a and miR-16 were significantly underexpressed in primary MM cells as well as in MM cell lines. The aberrant expression of miR-15a/16 was detected especially in advanced stage MM. In human MM cell lines and normal plasma cells, expression of miR-15a/16 inversely correlated with the expression of VEGF-A. Western blotting combined with the luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that VEGF-A was a direct target of miR-15a/16. Ectopic overexpression of miR-15a/16 led to decreased pro-angiogenic activity of MM cells. Finally, infection of lentivirus-miR-15a or lentivirus-miR-16 resulted in significant inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis in nude mice. This study suggest that miR-15a/16 could play a role in the tumorigenesis of MM at least in part by modulation of angiogenesis through targeting VEGF-A.

Identification of seven serum microRNAs from a genome‐wide serum microRNA expression profile as potential noninvasive biomarkers for malignant astrocytomas

The involvement of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer and their potential as biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis are becoming increasingly appreciated; however, little is known about circulating miRNA profiles in astrocytomas. In our study, we performed genome-wide serum miRNA analysis by the Solexa sequencing followed by validation conducted in the training and verification sets with a stem-loop quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay from serum samples of 122 untreated astrocytomas patients (WHO grades III-IV) and 123 normal controls. Identified miRNAs were subsequently examined in 55 grade II, 15 grade I astrocytomas, 11 astrogliosis, 42 other primary brain tumors and 8 tumor tissues from grades II-IV astrocytomas. In addition, paired serum samples before and after operation were collected from 14 malignant astrocytomas to determine the effect of surgery on the miRNAs' levels. A marked difference in serum miRNA profile was observed between high-grade astrocytomas and normal controls. Seven miRNAs were validated by RT-qPCR assay to be significantly decreased in grades II-IV patients (p < 0.001), including miR-15b*, miR-23a, miR-133a, miR-150*, miR-197, miR-497 and miR-548b-5p, and the seven-miRNA panel demonstrated a high sensitivity (88.00%) and specificity (97.87%) for malignant astrocytomas prediction. These identified miRNAs also exhibited a global decrease in tumor tissues relative to normal tissues. Furthermore, these miRNAs in serum were markedly elevated after operation (p < 0.001). In addition, some of these serum miRNAs were significantly different between malignant and benign cases, astrogliosis and other primary brain tumors. The seven serum miRNAs identified in our study hold potential as noninvasive biomarker for malignant astrocytomas.

Altered Profile of Seminal Plasma MicroRNAs in the Molecular Diagnosis of Male Infertility

Although microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in spermatogenesis, little is known about seminal plasma miRNAs in infertile men. We investigated the profile of seminal plasma miRNAs in infertile men to identify miRNAs that are altered in infertility; we then evaluated their diagnostic value. Seminal plasma samples were obtained from 289 infertile men and 168 age-matched fertile control individuals. The stability of the miRNAs was first assessed by time-course and freeze-thaw cycle analyses. The Solexa sequencing technology was used for an initial screen of the miRNAs in samples pooled from 45 patients with nonobstructive azoospermia, 58 patients with asthenozoospermia, and 100 fertile controls. A stem-loop quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was conducted in the training and verification sets to confirm the concentrations of the altered miRNAs in 73 patients with nonobstructive azoospermia, 79 patients with asthenozoospermia, 34 patients with oligospermia, and 68 fertile controls. The miRNAs in seminal plasma were stable. The Solexa sequencing analysis demonstrated 19 markedly altered miRNAs in the patient groups, compared with the control group. RT-qPCR analysis identified 7 miRNAs (miR-34c-5p, miR-122, miR-146b-5p, miR-181a, miR-374b, miR-509-5p, and miR-513a-5p) as markedly decreased in azoospermia but increased in asthenozoospermia. The area under the ROC curve for these miRNAs ranged from 0.733 to 0.921, markedly higher than for routine biochemical parameters (0.510-0.622). Moreover, the concentrations of some selected miRNAs were also increased in the semen sperm of the asthenozoospermia patients. The measurement of miRNAs in seminal plasma provides a novel, noninvasive approach for diagnosing male infertility.