MicroRNAs regulate survival in oxygen-deprived environments

Author:

English Simon G.1ORCID,Hadj-Moussa Hanane1ORCID,Storey Kenneth B.1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Institute of Biochemistry and Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

Abstract

Some animals must endure prolonged periods of oxygen deprivation to survive. One such extreme model is the Northern Crayfish (Orconectes virilis), that regularly survives year-round hypoxic and anoxic stresses in its warm stagnant summer waters and in its cold, ice-locked winter waters. To elucidate the molecular underpinnings of anoxia-resistance in this natural model, we surveyed the expression profiles of 76 highly-conserved microRNAs in crayfish hepatopancreas and tail muscle from normoxic, acute 2hr anoxia, and chronic 20hr anoxia exposures. MicroRNAs are known to regulate a diverse array of cellular functions required for environmental stress adaptations, and here we explore their role in anoxia tolerance. The tissue-specific anoxia responses observed herein, with 22 anoxia-responsive microRNAs in hepatopancreas and only 4 changing microRNAs in muscle, suggest that microRNAs facilitate a reprioritization of resources to preserve crucial organ functions. Bioinformatic microRNA target enrichment analysis predicted that the anoxia-downregulated microRNAs in hepatopancreas targeted hippo-signalling, suggesting that cell proliferation and apoptotic signalling are highly regulated in this liver-like organ during anoxia. Compellingly, miR-125-5p, miR-33-5p, and miR-190-5p, all known to target the master regulator of oxygen deprivation responses HIF1 (Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1), were anoxia-downregulated in hepatopancreas. The anoxia-increased transcript levels of the oxygen dependent subunit HIF1α, highlight a potential critical role for miRNA-HIF targeting in facilitating a successful anoxia response. Studying the cytoprotective mechanisms in place to protect against the challenges associated with surviving in oxygen-poor environments is critical to elucidating microRNAs’ vast and substantial role in the regulation of metabolism and stress in aquatic invertebrates.

Funder

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Publisher

The Company of Biologists

Subject

Insect Science,Molecular Biology,Animal Science and Zoology,Aquatic Science,Physiology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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