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The impact of microRNAs on transcriptional heterogeneity and gene co-expression across single embryonic stem cells.
- Source :
-
Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2017 Jan 19; Vol. 8, pp. 14126. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Jan 19. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- MicroRNAs act posttranscriptionally to suppress multiple target genes within a cell population. To what extent this multi-target suppression occurs in individual cells and how it impacts transcriptional heterogeneity and gene co-expression remains unknown. Here we used single-cell sequencing combined with introduction of individual microRNAs. miR-294 and let-7c were introduced into otherwise microRNA-deficient Dgcr8 knockout mouse embryonic stem cells. Both microRNAs induce suppression and correlated expression of their respective gene targets. The two microRNAs had opposing effects on transcriptional heterogeneity within the cell population, with let-7c increasing and miR-294 decreasing the heterogeneity between cells. Furthermore, let-7c promotes, whereas miR-294 suppresses, the phasing of cell cycle genes. These results show at the individual cell level how a microRNA simultaneously has impacts on its many targets and how that in turn can influence a population of cells. The findings have important implications in the understanding of how microRNAs influence the co-expression of genes and pathways, and thus ultimately cell fate.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Cell Cycle
Cell Size
Gene Expression Regulation physiology
Mice
Mice, Knockout
MicroRNAs genetics
Principal Component Analysis
RNA-Binding Proteins genetics
RNA-Binding Proteins metabolism
Single-Cell Analysis
Transcription, Genetic
Embryonic Stem Cells metabolism
MicroRNAs metabolism
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2041-1723
- Volume :
- 8
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nature communications
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 28102192
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14126