Abstract
Acting through degradation of target mRNA or inhibition of translation, microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate development, differentiation, and cellular response to diverse cues. We analyzed changes in miRNA expression in human placental trophoblasts exposed to hypoxia, which may result from hypoperfusion and placental injury. Using an miRNA microarray screen, confirmed by Northern blot analysis, we defined a set of seven miRNAs (miR-93, miR-205, miR-224, miR-335, miR-424, miR-451, and miR-491) that are differentially regulated in primary trophoblasts exposed to hypoxia. We combined in silico prediction of miRNA targets with gene expression profiling data to identify a series of potential targets for the miRNAs, which were further analyzed using luciferase reporter assays. Among experimentally confirmed targets, we found that the transcriptional coactivator MED1, which plays an important role in placental development, is a target for miR-205. Using gain- and loss-of-function assays, we confirmed that miR-205 interacts with a specific target in the 3'-UTR sequence of MED1 and silences MED1 expression in human trophoblasts exposed to hypoxia, suggesting that miR-205 plays a role in trophoblast injury.