Differentially expressed genes and transcript isoforms in mouse NSCs expressing miR-128

We identify a brain-specific microRNA—miR-128—that represses Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD) and thereby controls batteries of transcripts in neural cells. miR-128 represses NMD by targeting the RNA helicase UPF1 and the exon-junction complex core component MLN51. We employed exon arrays for this analysis, as this platform detects expression levels of individual exons and thus allows detection of not only differentially expressed transcripts (DETs), but also alternative isoform transcripts (AITs). The latter is particularly relevant to our study because alternative RNA processing events (e.g., RNA splicing, alternative promoter usage, and alternative polyadenylation-site usage) often place a translation termination codon in a premature context and thereby trigger NMD. Compare different expressed genes and transcript isoforms in mouse NSCs miR-128 positive vs miR-128 negative (Control). Mouse NSCs, that do not normally express miR-128, were nucleofected with either miR-128 (biological triplicates were analysed) or miR-Control (biological triplicates). RNA was extracted 72hrs later, and Exon Array was performed to identify target genes.