microRNA dynamics and function during neurogenesis – MINIATURE

Fine-tuning of gene expression is a fundamental requirement for development of cells and organs. This is particularly obvious in the nervous system, where few stem cell populations generate thousands of different neuronal and glial cell types in a perfectly controlled temporal and quantitative manner. Thanks to their ability to simultaneously fine-tune the expression of multiple mRNA targets, microRNAs represent an attractive mechanism for coordinating dynamic gene expression programs as development progresses. However, because it has remained extremely challenging to isolate and identify microRNAs from small populations of cells, the role of microRNAs during neuronal differentiation and in the progression of neural stem cells throughout various competence windows in unclear. Here we propose to use a new technology that we have recently developed, to identify and characterize in the developing central nervous system, the network of microRNAs that are involved in these processes. This project will provide a better understanding of how different modules of microRNAs are deployed during development to coordinate the activity of gene networks involved in neurogenesis. Understanding these mechanisms opens the way to controlled manipulation of gene networks for therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine or cancer.