A novel YY1-miR-1 regulatory circuit in skeletal myogenesis revealed by genome-wide prediction of YY1-miRNA network

microRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally, and mounting evidences support the prevalence and functional significance of their interplay with transcription factors (TFs). Here we describe the identification of a regulatory circuit between muscle miRNAs (miR-1, miR-133 and miR-206) and Yin Yang 1 (YY1), an epigenetic repressor of skeletal myogenesis. Genome-wide identification of potential YY1 down-stream targets by combining computational prediction with expression profiling data reveals a large number of putative miRNA targets of YY1 during skeletal myoblasts differentiation into myotubes with muscle miRs rank on top of the list. Murine skeletal muscle cells (C2C12 cells) were differentiated for 0, 1 or 3 days. Total RNAs were isolated from the cells and used for array profiling of miRNA expression.