Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are approximately 22 nucleotide-long non-coding RNAs that are encoded in the genome. miRNAs form base pairs with target mRNAs in the RNA-induced silencing complex and repress their expression through a mechanism called RNA silencing. Expression profiles of miRNAs differ between cells and tissues. In this study, we performed cytosine β-D-arabinofuranoside (AraC)-induced neuron-like differentiation of human NTERA2/D1 (NT2) cells and quantified endogenous miRNA levels using quantitative RT-PCR. In conclusion, pre-mir-106b and pre-mir-19b levels were decreased after AraC-induced neuron-like differentiation of NT2 cells, indicating the functional relevance of miRNAs in the differentiation of mammalian cells.