Substantial and robust changes in microRNA transcriptome support postnatal development of the hypothalamus in rat

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) modulate gene expression in male germ cells and somatic tissues of mammals on a genome-wide scale. Hundreds of miRNAs are encoded by mammalian genomes, a large fraction of which is expressed in brain. Here we have investigated the complexity and dynamics of miRNA transcriptomes that associate with neuronal network maturation of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and median eminence (ARC/ME) in rat by analysing more than 300 miRNAs from 3–7 biological replicates at 5 postnatal time-points. The network connecting ARC/ME to other hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic regions maturates in an environment-dependent manner. We therefore analyzed miRNA transcriptomes of progeny of dams fed either a balanced or unbalanced diet during gestation and lactation. More than 30% of the miRNAs displayed significative changes of expression between stages P8 and P14, and P21 and P28; half of the changes were greater than 3-fold. Among those miRNAs were well-known and dozens of still poorly documented miRNAs. Progeny of dams fed an unbanced diet displayed a severe growth retardation phenotype, lower levels of plasma leptin but almost identical miRNA transcriptomes. Together these data demonstrate that two substantial and robust changes in miRNA transcriptome of ARC/ME occur at a period crucial for neuronal network functional organization.