Identification of microRNA-21 target genes associated with hair follicle development in sheep

Abstract

The results show that the expressions of <i>CNKSR2</i>, <i>KLF3</i> and <i>TNPO1</i> were downregulated by miRNA-21 at rates of 36%, 26% and 48%, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between the expression of miR-21 and the three target genes in sheep with two extreme phenotypes. The expression of microRNA-21in October was significantly lower than that in January and February; while the expression of <i>CNKSR2</i>, <i>KLF3</i> and <i>TNPO1</i> in October was higher than that in January and February. Conclusions: These results suggest that <i>CNKSR2</i>, <i>KLF3</i> and <i>TNPO1</i> are three newly discovered target genes of miR-21 and might be involved in the effects of miR-21 on hair follicle development.