microRNA-23a is required for the migration and differentiation of cranial neural crest cells of zebrafish
WEI An-yao1, ZHAO Peng-hui1, XIA Jing-lan1, WANG Qiang2, DU Xing-hua3
1. Hebei Anguo Middle School, Hebei, Anguo 071200, China; 2. State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; 3. School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, Hefei 230026, China
Abstract: Objective To investigate the role of microRNA-23a (miRNA-23a) in the migration and differentiation of cranial neural crest (CNC) cells during craniofacial cartilage development. Methods First, antisense morpholino oligonucleotide against miRNA-23a (23a-MO) was injected into zebrafish embryos to inactivate endogenous miRNA-23a, and alcian blue staining was applied to analyze the developmental defects of craniofacial cartilages in miRNA-23a morphants. Next, the induction and migration of CNC cells in 23a-MO injected embryos were examined by whole mount in situ hybridization methods. Furthermore, the effect of miRNA-23a on the pharyngeal migration and chondrogenic differentiation of CNC cells was analyzed in Tg(sox10:EGFP);Tg(col2a1:h2a-mCherry) double transgenic embryos using confocal laser scanning microscope. Results Knockdown of miRNA-23a led to a severe loss of the posterior part of parachordal cartilages located in dorsal neurocranium. Moreover, ventral pharyngeal skeletal elements, including the Meckel' cartilage, ceratohyal cartilage and palatoquadrate, were obviously shortened, and the basihyal and ceratobranchial cartilages were absent in miRNA-23a morphants. The results of subsequent experiments showed that CNC cells were normally developed and migrated into the head regions, but could not migrate from hindbrain to pharyngeal regions and lost their ability to undergo chondrogenic differentiation in miRNA-23a morphants. ConclusionmiRNA-23a is indispensable for the migration and differentiation of CNC cells.
魏安瑶, 赵鹏辉, 夏景兰, 等. microRNA-23a调控斑马鱼颅神经嵴细胞迁移和分化[J]. 发育医学电子杂志, 2017, 5(1): 7-13.
WEI An-yao, ZHAO Peng-hui, XIA Jing-lan, et al. microRNA-23a is required for the migration and differentiation of cranial neural crest cells of zebrafish. Journal of Developmental Medicine(Electronic Version), 2017, 5(1): 7-13.
2017, Vol. 5 
