Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2047486 | FEBS Letters | 2015 | 5 Pages |
•Protein microarrays can be used to identify functional gene targets of microRNAs.•EIF4E is a novel target gene of miR-206.•miR-206 can suppress MET activation by targeting multiple genes.
This study demonstrated the feasibility and benefit of an antibody-based experimental approach to identify microRNA functional targets from hundreds of predicted genes using miR-206 as an example. Using a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) antibody array, we identified 7 phosphorylated RTKs that were significantly differentially regulated after miR-206-mimic transfection. We then focused on MET, the most varied RTK, and bioinformatically constructed a MET-centred network using computationally predicted miR-206 targets. Within this network, we analyzed two validated targets, PAX3 and SNX2, and one candidate target, EIF4E, may account for the inhibitory effect of miR-206 on MET phosphorylation. Luciferase and Western-blot assays indicated that EIF4E was a direct target of miR-206. This concept may also be applicable for other microRNAs and other antibody array platforms.