miR-4284 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells by Targeting Glutamate Decarboxylase 1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role as oncogenic or tumor suppressors in the pathogenesis and progression of tumors. However, few studies have investigated the exact role of miR-4284 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We aimed to investigate the role of miR-4284 as a tumor suppressor in renal cancer cell lines. A498 and Caki-1 were transfected with miR-4284. The Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, apoptosis assays, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate tumor growth-inhibiting functions. The wound-healing, transwell, and sphere-formation assays were conducted to investigate tumorigenic characteristics. The potential target genes of miR-4284 were predicted and experimentally verified. A xenograft experiment was performed to estimate the tumor-growth-suppressive function of miR-4284. miR-4284 overexpression suppressed proliferation, induced apoptosis, and suppressed tumorigenic features of renal cancer cells. Glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1) was directly targeted by miR-4284. A xenograft mouse model injected with Caki-1 cells transfected with miR-4284 showed significantly decreased tumor growth rate and volume. miR-4284 affected tumor growth, metastasis, and apoptosis of renal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings highlight the potential of miR-4284 as a target for anticancer miRNA therapeutics in RCC.

Genetically identified neurons in avian auditory pallium mirror core principles of their mammalian counterparts

In vertebrates, advanced cognitive abilities are typically associated with the telencephalic pallium. In mammals, the pallium is a layered mixture of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations with distinct molecular, physiological, and network phenotypes. This cortical architecture is proposed to support efficient, high-level information processing. Comparative perspectives across vertebrates provide a lens to understand the common features of pallium that are important for advanced cognition. Studies in songbirds have established strikingly parallel features of neuronal types between mammalian and avian pallium. However, lack of genetic access to defined pallial cell types in non-mammalian vertebrates has hindered progress in resolving connections between molecular and physiological phenotypes. A definitive mapping of the physiology of pallial cells onto their molecular identities in birds is critical for understanding how synaptic and computational properties depend on underlying molecular phenotypes. Using viral tools to target excitatory versus inhibitory neurons in the zebra finch auditory association pallium (calmodulin-dependent kinase alpha [CaMKIIα] and glutamate decarboxylase 1 [GAD1] promoters, respectively), we systematically tested predictions derived from mammalian pallium. We identified two genetically distinct neuronal populations that exhibit profound physiological and computational similarities with mammalian excitatory and inhibitory pallial cells, definitively aligning putative cell types in avian caudal nidopallium with these molecular identities. Specifically, genetically identified CaMKIIα and GAD1 cell types in avian auditory association pallium exhibit distinct intrinsic physiological parameters, distinct auditory coding principles, and inhibitory-dependent pallial synchrony, gamma oscillations, and local suppression. The retention, or convergence, of these molecular and physiological features in both birds and mammals clarifies the characteristics of pallial circuits for advanced cognitive abilities.

Roles of long noncoding RNAs in brain development, functional diversification and neurodegenerative diseases

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been attracting immense research interest, while only a handful of lncRNAs have been characterized thoroughly. Their involvement in the fundamental cellular processes including regulate gene expression at epigenetics, transcription, and post-transcription highlighted a central role in cell homeostasis. However, lncRNAs studies are still at a relatively early stage, their definition, conservation, functions, and action mechanisms remain fairly complicated. Here, we give a systematic and comprehensive summary of the existing knowledge of lncRNAs in order to provide a better understanding of this new studying field. lncRNAs play important roles in brain development, neuron function and maintenance, and neurodegenerative diseases are becoming increasingly evident. In this review, we also highlighted recent studies related lncRNAs in central nervous system (CNS) development and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and elucidated some specific lncRNAs which may be important for understanding the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, also have the potential as therapeutic targets.