Role of miR-1305 in regulating pluripotency, cell cycle and apoptosis in human embryonic stem cells

Abstract

Human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells are defined as pluripotent in view of their ability to maintain self-renewal and differentiation to cells of all three germ layers. So far the mechanism underlying the cell cycle regulation, self-renewal and pluripotency of human pluripotent stem cells are not fully understood. In this study, we first screened for candidate miRNAs which might play important roles in regulating pluripotency and cell cycle by using a microarray based approach. miR-1305 was chosen as a target, as its expression profile changed during human embryonic stem cell differentiation and cell cycle. We also revealed the role of miR-1305 in regulating differentiation in human embryonic stem cells as well as cell cycle and apoptosis in human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Our results provide evidence that overexpression of miR-1305 induces significant human embryonic stem cell differentiation and downregulation of miR-1305 maintains human embryonic stem cell pluripotency. Furthermore, POLR3G was identified as a downstream target by which miR-1305 regulates human embryonic stem cell differentiation. Together our data corroborate previous findings indicating an intrinsic link between miRNA and maintenance of pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells.