MiR-124 synergism with ELAVL3 enhances target gene expression to promote neuronal maturity [HNs_RNAseq]

Neuron-enriched microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-9/9* and miR-124 (miR-9/9*-124), direct cell fate switching of human fibroblasts to neurons when ectopically expressed by repressing anti-neurogenic genes. How these miRNAs function after the onset of the transcriptome switch to a neuronal fate remains unclear. Here, we identified direct targets of miRNAs by Argonaute (AGO) HITS-CLIP as reprogramming cells activate the neuronal program and reveal the role of miR-124 that directly promotes the expression of its target genes associated with neuronal development and function. MiR-124 and ELAVL3 activities were knockdown using a tough decoy and shRNA, respectively, in primary human neurons. Duplicates for control (TuD-miR-NS + shCTL) and knockdown (TuD-miR-124 + shELAVL3) were collected for RNAseq.