Several of the miRNAs (let-7b,
mir132, 181b, 338-3p, 486-5p, and 650) were “hubs” correlated with four to nine other miRNAs in the Selleck TGX221 network. Target analysis revealed that many of the targets are transcription factors, and nuclear, transmembrane, and signaling proteins. Intriguingly, four different downregulated miRNAs target VEGFA (mir-20b, 20a, 34a, and 34b*), a molecule implicated in depression in both humans and animal models. Other validated targets include BCL2 (mir-34a), DNMT3B (mir-148b), and MYCN (mir-101, 34a). Among Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical predicted targets, estrogen receptor a, ESR1, was predicted to be targeted by three different downregulated miRNAs (mir-148b, 301a, 496). Others targeted by three or more affected miRNAs include ubiquitin ligases (UBE2D1 and UBE2W); signal transduction mediators (CAMK2G, AKAP1); the splicing factor NOVA1 that regulates brain-specific alternative splicing; Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the GABA-A receptor subunit GABRA4; calcium channel CACNA1C; and brain-active transcription factors including SMAD5, MITF, BACH2, MYCN, and ARID4A. Several Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of these predicted targets interact with validated targets; for example, ARIA4A binds E2F1; SMAD5 binds RUNX1; and estradiol treatment decreases E2F1 levels in the prefrontal cortex.157 BACH2 transcription factor binding sites have been identified upstream of many brainexpressed miRNAs.114 Retinoblastoma
binding protein 1 (ARIA4A) is of interest because it recruits histone deacetylases and regulates gene expression via chromatin-based silencing. Recently, He et al158 studied an Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical association between miRNA processing gene variants and depression. They genotyped three polymorphisms from three miRNA processing genes (DGCR8, AG01, and GEMIN4) in a case-control study including
314 patients and 252 matched healthy controls. Frequencies of genotypes and alleles showed a significant difference between patients with depression and healthy controls in DGCR8 rs3757 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and AGOl rs636832. An allele frequency was significantly higher in rs3757 and lower in rs636832, respectively. Variant allele of DGCR8 rs3757 was associated with increased risk of suicidal tendency and improvement response to antidepressant treatment, whereas the variant of AGOl rs636832 showed decreased risk of suicidal tendency, Mephenoxalone suicidal behavior, and recurrence. Besides, allele frequency showed significant difference when comparing patients with remission with controls; no significant differences were found in GEMIN4 rs7813 between patients and healthy controls. DGCR8 rs3757 and AGOl rs636832 were found to have a significant association with depression, and GEMIN4 rs7813 did not affect susceptibility to depression. These observations suggested that miRNA processing polymorphisms may affect depression risk and treatment.