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MicroRNA cloning analysis reveals sex differences in microRNA expression profiles between adult mouse testis and ovary

T Mishima, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
T Takizawa, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
S Luo, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
O Ishibashi, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
Y Kawahigashi, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
Y Mizuguchi, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
T Ishikawa, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
M Mori, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
T Kanda, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
T Goto, Molecular Anatomy and Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
T Takizawa, Molecular Anatomy, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan

Correspondence: Toshihiro Takizawa, Email: t-takizawa{at}nms.ac.jp

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding small RNAs that can regulate the expression of complementary mRNA targets. Identifying tissue-specific miRNAs is the first step toward understanding the biological functions of miRNAs, which include the regulation of tissue differentiation and the maintenance of tissue identity. In this study, we performed small RNA library sequencing in adult mouse testis and ovary to reveal their characteristic organ- and gender-specific profiles and to elucidate the characteristics of the miRNAs expressed in the reproductive system. We obtained 10,852 and 11,744 small RNA clones from mouse testis and ovary, respectively (>10,000 clones per organ), which included 6,630 (159 genes) and 10,192 (154 genes) known miRNAs. A high level of efficiency of miRNA library sequencing was achieved: 61% (6,630 miRNA clones/10,852 small RNA clones) and 87% (10,192/11,744) for adult mouse testis and ovary, respectively. We obtained characteristic miRNA signatures in testis and ovary; 55 miRNAs were detected highly, exclusively, or predominantly in adult mouse testis and ovary, and discovered 2 novel miRNAs. Male-biased expression of miRNAs occurred on the X chromosome. Our data provide important information on sex differences in miRNA expression that should facilitate studies of the reproductive organ-specific roles of miRNAs.