Regulation of a TrkB Alternative Transcript by microRNAs

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor (TrkB)-mediated signaling is vital for neuronal differentiation, survival, plasticity, and cognition. In this study, the focus was placed on TrkB-Shc, a neuron-specific transcript, to determine if microRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in TrkB-Shc regulation. METHODS: A combination of bioinformatics and molecular gene expression analysis techniques was used to assess the effect of miR-409-3p and miR-216b on TrkB-Shc expression. RESULTS: miR-409-3p and miR-216b were found to regulate the TrkB-Shc 3′UTR through the identified putative binding sites. When the effect of the miRNAs on TrkB was assessed using SHSY5Y neuronal cells, differential effects were observed between mRNA and protein expression. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of miRNA-mediated regulation in TrkB signaling.