Maria S Sepulveda
Purdue University, USA
Title: Role of miRNAs on Daphnia pulex response to cadmium exposure
Biography
Biography: Maria S Sepulveda
Abstract
Daphnia pulex, a widely used toxicological model organism, is known for its sensitivity and quick response to cadmium (Cd). To interrogate the function of D. pulex microRNAs under Cd exposure, we analyzed the miRNA profiles of Cd-exposed D. pulex using Affymetrix Genechip 4.0 microarrays and validated miRNA expression by RT-PCR. MiRNA dpu-let-7 was identified as a stable expressed reference gene under Cd-exposure. Our research identified 25 and 21 differentially expressed miRNAs in the low (20 µg/L CdCl2) and high (40 µg/L CdCl2) concentrations, respectively. Next, miRNA target genes were predicted by Targetscan and RNA duplex. Predicted target genes revealed these miRNAs are related with cell death, DNA repair, calcium transport and hypoxia. A total of seven predicted target genes were selected for expression profile by RT-PCR and expression for two of the predicted target genes was negatively correlated with the expression of their regulator miRNA. Collectively, this research will advance our understanding on the role of miRNAs in response to heavy metal exposure.