DYRK1A regulation by microRNAs in cultured neurons from the hippocampus of mice models of human trisomy 21 and its relation with Alzheimer's Disease

• Grant number: 13/04903-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Merari de Fátima Ramires Ferrari
• Grantee: Vitor Zago de Almeida Paciello
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs (21-25 nucleotides) that regulate protein expression by interacting with mRNAs. Specifically on the brain, these microRNAs are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of a variety of cellular processes including those associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Patients with Down syndrome present higher risk for Alzheimer's disease than the general population because the extra chromosome (21) holds genes associated to the neurodegenerative disease, such as App and Dyrk1a. MicroRNAs like mir-9 and mir-101 can regulate the expression of DYRK1A, making them possible therapeutic targets. In view of this, the objective of this study is to evaluate how these cited microRNAs influence on the expression of DYRK1A and on the development of Alzheimer's disease by overexpressing these microRNAs on cultures of hippocampal cells of newborn mice models of human trisomy 21. (AU)