Regulation of DLK1 by the maternally expressed miR-379/miR-544 cluster may underlie callipyge polar overdominance inheritance

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1511448112
• Publication Date: 2015-10-21T17:03:02Z
• Authors: Yun-Qian Gao; Xin Chen; Pei Wang; Lei Lu; Wei Zhao; Chen Chen; Cai-Ping Chen; Tao Tao; Jie Sun; Yan-Yan Zheng; Jie Du; Chao-Jun Li; Zhen-Ji Gan; Xiang Gao; Hua-Qun Chen; Min-Sheng Zhu
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Genomic Imprinting; Mice; MicroRNAs; 03 medical and health sciences; Multigene Family; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Animals; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Female

Significance

The polar overdominance inheritance of callipyge sheep is an unusual mode of non-Mendelian inheritance. We established a mouse line with deletion of the microRNA (miR) 379/miR-544 cluster and assessed the role of this cluster in the inheritance. Our results showed that the maternally expressed miR-379/miR-544 cluster might regulate skeletal muscle growth through the imprinted Delta-like 1 homolog ( Dlk1 ) gene. This report revealed a molecular mechanism of the polar overdominance inheritance.