miRNA‐1 regulation is necessary for mechanical overload‐induced muscle hypertrophy in male mice

Abstract

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that play a critical role in regulating gene expression post‐transcriptionally. They are involved in various developmental and physiological processes, and their dysregulation is linked to various diseases. Skeletal muscle‐specific miRNAs, including miR‐1, play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of skeletal muscle. It has been demonstrated that the expression of miR‐1 decreases by approximately 50% in response to hypertrophic stimuli, suggesting its potential involvement in muscle hypertrophy. In our study, we hypothesize that reduction of miR‐1 levels is necessary for skeletal muscle growth due to its interaction to essential pro‐growth genes. Promoting a smaller reduction of miR‐1 levels, we observed a blunted hypertrophic response in mice undergoing a murine model of muscle hypertrophy. In addition, our results suggest that miR‐1 inhibits the expression of Itm2a, a membrane‐related protein, as potential miR‐1‐related candidate for skeletal muscle hypertrophy. While the exact mechanism in muscle hypertrophy has not been identified, our results suggest that miR‐1‐regulated membrane proteins are important for skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

Keywords

• hypertrophy
• miR‐1
• skeletal muscle