MicroRNA profiling of cystic fibrosis intestinal disease in mice

Cystic fibrosis (CF) intestinal disease is characterized by alterations in processes such as proliferation and apoptosis which are known to be regulated in part by microRNA’s. Herein, we completed microRNA expression profiling of the intestinal tissue from the cystic fibrosis mouse model of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr) deficient mice (BALBc/J Cftrtm1UNC), relative to that of wildtype littermates, to determine whether changes in microRNA expression level are part of this phenotype. We identified 24 microRNA's to be significantly differentially expressed in tissue from CF mice compared to wildtype, with the higher expression in tissue from CF mice. These data were confirmed with real time PCR measurements. A comparison of the list of genes previously reported to have decreased expression in the BALB x C57BL/6J F2 CF intestine to that of genes putatively targeted by the 24 microRNA’s, determined from target prediction software, revealed 20% of the gene expression profile to overlap with predicted targets. Pathway analysis identified these common genes to function in phosphatase and tensin homolog-, protein kinase A-, phosphoinositide-3 kinase/Akt- and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha/retinoid X receptor alpha signaling pathways, among others, and through real time PCR experiments genes of these pathways were demonstrated to have lower expression in the BALB CF intestine. We conclude that altered microRNA expression is a feature which putatively influences both metabolic abnormalities and the altered tissue homeostasis component of CF intestinal disease. Two condition experiment, Balbc/J Cftrtm1UNC -/- (Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Mice) and Balbc/J Cftrtm1UNC +/+ (Wild Type (WT) Mice). Biological Replicates: 7 WT, 8CF. Ileum Tissue.