The functions of ocu-miR-205 in regulating hair follicle development in Rex rabbits

Abstract

Background: Hair follicles is an appendage from the vertebrate skin epithelium, and arise from the embryonic ectoderm andregenerate cyclically during adult life. Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) is the key dermal component of the hair follicle that directly regulates hair follicle development, growth and regeneration. Recent studies have reported that miRNA plays an important role in regulating hair follicle morphogenesis, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of hair follicle stem cells. Results: The miRNAs expression profile of the DPCs from different hair density Rex rabbits shown that 240 differentially expressed of miRNAs were screened (log 2 (HD/LD)｜>1.00 and Q-value≤0.001). Among them, the expression of ocu-miR-205-5p in low hair densities DPCs was higher than that in high hair densities, and it is highly expressed in the skin tissue of Rex rabbits ( P <0.05). ocu-miR-205 could increase cell proliferation and cell apoptosis ratio, change cell cycle process ( P <0.05), affect the genes expression of PI3K/Akt, Wnt, Notch and BMP signaling pathways in DPCs and skin tissue of Rex rabbits, inhibit the protein phosphorylation level of CTNNB1, GSK-3β and the protein expression level of noggin (NOG), promote Akt phosphorylation level ( P <0.05). There was no significant change in primary follicle density ( P >0.05), but the secondary follicle density and total follicle density ( P <0.05) were changed after ocu-miR-205-5p interfered expression, and secondary/primary ratio (S/P) in ocu-miR-205-5p interfered expression group increased at 14 days after injection ( P <0.05). Conclusion: ocu-miR-205 could promote the apoptosis of DPCs, affect PI3K/Akt, Wnt, Notch and BMP signaling pathways genes and proteins expression in DPCs and skin of Rex rabbits, promote the transformation of hair follicles from growth phase to regression and resting phase, and affect hair density of Rex rabbits.