miRNA expression in PTEN-deficient premalignant DP thymocytes

T cell-specific deletion of PTEN induces premalignancy in CD4+ CD8+ (DP) immature T cells in the thymus, which progresses to the development of mature CD4+ T cell lymphomas in the lymph nodes and spleen. As part of a screen to identify factors that inhibit progression to malignancy, we compared miRNA expression in premalignant PTEN-deficient DP thymocytes versus wild-type controls. DP thymocytes were collected by cell sorting from three 9-week-old, premalignant T cell-specific PTEN-deficient mice (tPTEN-/-) and three littermate controls. miRNA expression was assessed relative to a reference pool generated from an equal mixture of all samples.