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Title: MicroRNA (miRNA) expression is regulated by butyrate induced epigenetic modulation of gene expression in bovine cells

Author
item Li, Congjun - Cj
item Li, Robert
item Elsasser, Theodore

Submitted to: Genetics and Epigenetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2010
Publication Date: 10/22/2010
Citation: Li, C., Li, R.W., Elsasser, T.H. 2010. MicroRNA (miRNA) expression is regulated by butyrate induced epigenetic modulation of gene expression in bovine cells. Genetics and Epigenetics. 3:23-32.

Interpretive Summary: Histone acetylation and microRNA are two different regulatory pathways of gene expression. Butyrate, a nutrient for cows can regulate gene expression by changing histone acetylation. In this report, we show the evidence that butyrate can also regulate the expression of microRNA. The results show many of the microRNAs are differentially expressed in the cell. Those differentially expressed MicroRNA, in return, can regulate the cell components that modulate the histone acetylation, as well as targeting many genes that are critical for the cellular functions. These data reveal that there is a very complicated interaction between microRNA and histone acetylation. This interaction forms a highly integrated feedback mechanism.

Technical Abstract: We present evidence that butyrate induced histone acetylation regulates miRNA expression. MicroRNA expression microarray profiling revealed that 35 miRNA transcripts are significantly (p <0.05) differentially expressed after cells were treated with 10 mM butyrate. Among them, 11 transcripts are differentially expressed very significantly (p <0.01). The functional and pathways analysis using MetaCore analytical suite shows differentially expressed miRNAs targeting some very important gene networks and differentially expressed miRNAs may interfere with butyrate induced modulation of gene expression and cellular functions. The data indicates the complicated interaction between miRNA and histone acetylation forms a highly integrated feedback mechanism.