Differential regulation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in sensory neuron axons by miRNA‐206

Distinct subcellular localization and subsequent translational control of 3′ UTR variants of mRNA encoding brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are critical for the development and plasticity of neurons. Although the processes that lead to preferential localization of BDNF have been well studied, it is still not clear how neurons ensure differential BDNF production in a spatial‐specific manner. Here, we identified that microRNA (miRNA)‐206 has the potential to specifically regulate BDNF with a long 3′ UTR without affecting its short 3′ UTR counterpart. Overexpression of miRNA‐206 in sensory neurons resulted in a 30% and 45% reduction of BDNF protein expression in the cell bodies and axons, respectively. The work described in the present study indicates that miRNAs can differentially and specifically regulate the expression of transcript variants with different localization patterns.