Chavez GG, Taylor G, Garaliene J, Richardson GP, Korneev SA. The temporal expression profile of a Nos3-related natural antisense RNA in the brain suggests a possible role in neurogenesis.
Nitric Oxide 2017;
71:27-31. [PMID:
29031735 PMCID:
PMC5714617 DOI:
10.1016/j.niox.2017.10.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Experimental work over the past several years has revealed an unexpected abundance of long natural antisense transcripts (NATs) in eukaryotic species. In light of the proposed role of such RNA molecules in the regulation of gene expression in the brain, attention is now focused on specific examples of neuronal NATs. Of particular interest are NATs that are complementary to mRNAs encoding nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme responsible for production of the important gaseous neurotransmitter nitric oxide (NO). Here we study the temporal expression profile of murine Nos3as NAT in the brain. Notably, Nos3as NAT is known to act as a negative regulator of Nos3 gene expression. The results of our quantitative analysis reveal differential expression of Nos3as NAT during embryonic and post-embryonic stages of development of the brain. Also, they show that the low levels of Nos3as NAT coincides with active neurogenesis. In addition we report on an inverse correlation between the relative expression level of Nos3as NAT and the level of Nos3 protein. Thus our data raise the hypothesis that the Nos3as NAT regulates neurogenesis through suppression of Nos3 gene activity. This idea is further supported by experiments conducted on the olfactory bulbs and cultured neuroblastoma cells.
Nos3as NAT and Nos3 mRNA are differentially expressed during mouse brain development and aging.
Low levels of Nos3as NAT coincides with active neurogenesis.
There is an inverse correlation between the expression level of Nos3as NAT and the level of Nos3 protein in the brain.
Neuronal differentiation of cultured neuroblastoma cells is associated with up-regulation of Nos3as NAT.
Nos3as NAT may be involved in controlling both embryonic and adult neurogenesis.
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