Background: Although miR-124 molecule has been known as an inducer of neurogenesis, few researches have been done on the targets of this molecule and its functional mechanisms in differentiation toward neurons and maintaining neuronal state. The microarray technique has been established as the reference method for studying the genes under the control of miRNAs. However, the high cost of this method has hampered its use in most research centers. On the other hand, the improvement of bioinformatical algorithms and computer modeling systems has led to the development of the bioinformatical softwares that can predict mRNA targets for miRNAs. Therefore, the aim of this theoretical study was to bioinformatically evaluate the effect of miR-124 on transcription factors that can be involved in neurogenesis and neuronal cell amplification, by using various specific softwares. Materials and Methods: Using different algorithms in TargetScan, DIANA and miRWalk databases, the potential transcription factors targets of miR-124 were identified. Then, a score table was prepared from the candidate genes, based on the affinity of the seed region of miR-124 and the number of targets in the 3`-UTR region of transcription factors. Finally, transcription factors with higher scores were chosen as candidates for practical analysis.

Results: The results of bioinformaical analysis showed that the LAMC1, ITGB1, PTBP1, SOX9, SP1, and EFNB1 molecules are the most potential factors that might be affected by miR-124 during neurogenesis.

Conclusion: It seems that transcription factor SP1 is under the control of the miR-124 and plays a crucial role in neurogenesis process. Therefore, this protein can be considered as a suitable new candidate for experimental evaluation.

Background: Obesity is a complex, multifaceted disease resulting from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle backgrounds, and is associated with increased risk of diseases, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. MiRNAs have been reported to be associated with chronic diseases such as obesity. The present study is the first investigation that examines the possible association of rs2910164 polymorphism in mir-146a gene with overweight and obesity in Iranian women.

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 133 overweight, 75 obese and 173 healthy control women with normal weight. The rs2910164 polymorphism genotypes of mir-146a gene were determined by the Tetra-ARMS PCR method. Also, logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between genotypes and obesity risk.

Results: There was a significant association between GC (OR: 1.8, 95%CI: 1-3.3, p: 0.04) and CC (OR: 4.5, 95%CI: 1.6-12.6, p: 0.004) genotypes with susceptibility to obesity. In the dominant genetic model of the C allele (comparison between CC+GC vs. GG), CC+GC genotypes were associated with the risk of obesity (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2–3.7, p= 0.01).

Conclusion: This study showed that mir-146a gene rs2910164 polymorphism is associated with obesity risk and the C allele may act as a dominant allele and increase the obesity risk in Iranian women.

.

Abstract

Background: The incidence of gastric cancer is different in two sexes with ratio 2 to 1 that it is more common in men. The most important biologically reason is sexual hormones between two sexes that lead to sexual dimorphism and in turn can cause a sex bias in incidence of disease between two sexes. Recently, studies have shown that microRNA is involved in sexual dimorphism in gene expression. Given the sexual dimorphism in the incidence of gastric cancer and sex hormones response elements in the regulatory regions of miR-146a and miR-148a genes, in this study, the expression of these two genes in the stomach of healthy men and women at different age groups were compared.

Materials and Methods: Using endoscopy, gastric antrum tissues of 35 healthy women and 35 healthy men were collected. After RNA extraction and synthesis of cDNA, the expression of miR-146a and miR-148a genes were compared between sexes by Real time RT-PCR and data were analyzed using independent sample t and ANOVA tests.

Results: There was no difference between men and women in genes expression of miR-146a and miR-148a. However, expression of miR-146a gene was significantly more in men under 45 years than men over 45 years (p= 0.017, df= 14,  t= 1.47). Also,  expression of miR-148a gene was significantly more in men over 45 years than men under 45 years (p=0.001, df= 12, t= 1.28). But the expression of both genes had no significant difference between women under 45 years and women over 45 years.

Conclusion: Expression of miR-146a and miR-148a genes in the stomach is increased and decreased with aging in men, respectively.