A hidden threshold in motor neuron gene networks for survival revealed by modulation of miR-218 dose. A hidden threshold in motor neuron gene networks for survival revealed by modulation of miR-218 dose

miRNAs are post-transcriptional repressors with wide variation in cellular abundance across cell types and disease states. Yet, the transcriptomic and biological impact of altering miRNA levels (rather than binary gain or loss) has not been systematically investigated. By genetic combination, we generated an allelic series of mice expressing varying levels of miR-218, a motor neuron-specific miRNA associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Modulation of miR-218 dose causes threshold-like neuromuscular synaptogenesis and mouse viability phenotypes and revealed heterogenous dose-response curves of target mRNA repression. A dose-response network analyses unmasked a specific regulon exhibiting an inflection point in repression concomitant with the emergence of motor phenotypes. Furthermore, we find that miR-218 indirectly activates a coherent peripheral neuronal genetic signature and that the magnitude of miR-218 mediated effects varies in distinct motor subpopulations. This work reveals miRNA dose as a potent, non-linear modulator of in vivo mRNA target selection, suggesting how cellular dysfunction might abruptly arise when miRNA levels fall below a critical threshold. For the data uploaded here, motor neurons carrying an Hb9:gfp reporter were FACS isolated based upon GFP expression and used for either bulk or single cell RNA sequencing (10x genomics). Motor neurons were either mouse embryonic stem cell derived motor neurons (ESMNs) or mouse motor neurons from developmental stage E12. ESMN samples carry unique mutations of the miR-218-2 promoter of distinct sizes, or are wild type. E12 motor neurons carry combinations of mutations to either miR-218-1 or miR-218-2 or the promoter for miR-218-2. For single cell RNA sequencing, we have WT and miR-218 double knockout (DKO) motor neurons in duplicate. We also sequenced 4 samples of dorsal root ganglia from E12 mice (DRG1-4).