rs4246215 is targeted by hsa-miR1236 to regulate FEN1 expression but is not associated with Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy

Fuchs’ Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) is a genetically complex disorder that affects individuals above 40 years of age; molecular pathogenesis of its associated genes is poorly understood. This study aims at assessing the association of flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) polymorphisms, c.-69G>A (rs174538) and c.4150G>T (rs4246215) with FECD. Comet assay analysis reaffirmed that endogenous DNA damage was greater in FECD individuals. However, genetic analysis in 79 FECD patients and 234 unrelated control individuals prove that both the FEN1 polymorphisms, c.-69G>A (rs174538) and c.4150G>T (rs4246215), failed to show any genetic association with the FECD disease phenotype. In silico analysis and luciferase reporter assay identified ‘G’ allele of the 3’UTR located FEN1 polymorphism c.4150G>T as the target for binding of hsa-miR-1236-3p. This study indicates that although FEN1 polymorphisms, c.-69G>A (rs174538) and c.4150G>T (rs4246215) are not genetically associated with FECD, its transcript regulation reported in other diseases such as lung cancer which are genetically associated by rs4246215 could be mediated through miRNA, hsa-miR-1236-3p.