Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in post-transcriptional repression in nearly every biological process including germ cell development. Previously, we have identified a zebrafish germ plasm-specific miRNAmiR-202-5p, which regulates PGC migration through targetingcdc42se1to protectcdc42expression. However, knockdown ofcdc42se1could not significantly rescue PGC migration in maternalmiR-202mutant (MmiR-202) embryos, indicating that there are other target genes ofmiR-202-5prequired for the regulation of PGC migration. Herein, we revealed the transcriptional profiles of wild type and MmiR-202PGCs and obtained 129 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 42 DEGs were enriched cell migration-related signaling pathways. From these DEGs, we identified two novelmiR-202-5ptarget genesprdm12bandrab10. Furthermore, we found that disruption ofrab10expression led to significantly migratory defects of PGC by overexpression ofrab10siRNA, or WT, inactive as well as active forms ofrab10mRNA, and WTrab10overexpression mediated migratory defects could be partially but significantly rescued by overexpression ofmiR-202-5p, demonstrating thatrab10is an important factor involvedmiR-202-5pmediated regulation of PGC migration. Taken together, the present results provide significant information for understanding the molecular mechanism by whichmiR-202-5pregulates PGC migration in zebrafish.Keywords:primordial germ cells;miR-202-5p;rab10;migration