Back to results

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Roles of MicroRNAs in Fetal Lung Development

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Lung alveolar type II cells uniquely synthesize surfactant, a developmentally-regulated lipoprotein that is essential for breathing. Expression of the major surfactant protein, SP-A, in midgestation human fetal lung (HFL) is dramatically induced by cAMP. cAMP induction of SP-A expression is repressed by TGF-β and by hypoxia. In this study, we found that expression of the miR-29 family was significantly upregulated in epithelial cells isolated from mouse fetal lung during late gestation and in epithelial cells isolated from HFL explants during type II cell differentiation in culture. MiR-29 expression in cultured HFL epithelial cells was increased by cAMP and inhibited by hypoxia, whereas the miR-29 target, TGF-β2, was coordinately oppositely regulated. Knockdown of the miR-29 family in cultured HFL type II cells blocked cAMP-induced SP-A expression and accumulation of surfactant-containing lamellar bodies, suggesting its physiological relevance. This occurred through derepression of TGF-β signaling. Notably, cAMP increased binding of endogenous thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1/Nkx2.1) to the miR-29ab1 promoter in HFL type II cells and TTF-1 increased miR-29ab1 promoter-driven luciferase activity in co-transfection assays. Together, these findings identify miR-29 family members as TTF-1-driven mediators of SP-A expression and type II cell differentiation through repression of TGF-β signaling.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy
Level thesis:degree_level
Doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Biological Chemistry
Grantor
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Year dc:date.issued
2016

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Guo, Wei
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Liu, Qinghua
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Mendelson, Carole R.
  • Minna, John D.
  • Mendell, Joshua T.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
1049807487

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Base URL
utswmed-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-08-21
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Guo, Wei. Roles of MicroRNAs in Fetal Lung Development. Doctoral thesis, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 2016. https://hdl.handle.net/2152.5/5729