Aquaculture Sciences

Aquaculture Sciences

Bioinformatics assessment of the role of MicroRNAs in regulating the expression of genes involved in the immune system of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mahdi Banaee 1
Reza Shakeri 2
1 Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Resources, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran.
2 Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran.
Abstract
This study investigated the role of microRNAs in regulating the expression of genes involved in the immune system of zebrafish through bioinformatics analysis. To achieve this, gene profiles related to the immune system of teleost fish were extracted from the NCBI website, and microRNAs targeting these genes were identified using the TargetScan and miRmap tools. The results revealed that genes such as tlr3, nlrx1, saa, cxcl12a, C3, mhc1ze, and mhc2dab play a crucial role in immune responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Notably, microRNAs dre-miR-30e-3p and dre-miR-723-5p, with scores exceeding 80, effectively regulated the tlr3 gene, which is essential for recognizing double-stranded RNA and activating innate immune responses. Additionally, dre-miR-155, dre-miR-2194, and dre-miR-2185-5p, were identified as key regulators of the nlrx1 gene, which is pivotal in immune pathways and oxidative stress. The expression of the saa gene, which is involved in inflammatory responses and immune regulation, is regulated by dre-miR-135c, dre-miR-135b, and dre-miR-135a. Similarly, the cxcl12a gene, which encodes the chemokine SDF-1 and plays a role in immune cell migration, is regulated by dre-miR-740, dre-miR-22b, and dre-miR-22a. Furthermore, complement system genes such as C3 are influenced by dre-miR-93 and dre-miR-128. The major histocompatibility complex genes mhc1ze and mhc2dab are strongly regulated by microRNAs such as dre-miR-101a, dre-miR-3906, and dre-miR-740. These findings, supported by comprehensive bioinformatics analyses, provide valuable insights into the role of microRNAs in regulating the zebrafish immune system and serve as a foundation for future experimental studies in this field.
Keywords
microRNAs
Immune system
Gene expression regulation
mRNA-miRNA interaction analysis
Zebrafish
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Aquaculture Sciences
Volume 12, Issue 2
November 2024
Pages 91-105