MiR-125b-2 knockout increases high-fat diet-induced fat accumulation and insulin resistance

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 15;10(1):21969. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77714-7.

Abstract

Obese individuals are more susceptible to comorbidities than individuals of healthy weight, including cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. MicroRNAs are a class of small and noncoding RNAs that are implicated in the regulation of chronic human diseases. We previously reported that miR-125b plays a critical role in adipogenesis in vitro. However, the involvement of miR-125b-2 in fat metabolism in vivo remains unknown. In the present study, miR-125b-2 knockout mice were generated using CRISPR/CAS9 technology, resulting in mice with a 7 bp deletion in the seed sequence of miR-125b-2. MiR-125b-2 knockout increased the weight of liver tissue, epididymal white fat and inguinal white fat. MiR-125b-2 knockout also increased adipocyte volume in HFD-induced obese mice, while there were no significant differences in body weight and feed intake versus mice fed a normal diet. Additionally, qRT-PCR and western blot analysis revealed that the expression of the miR-125b-2 target gene SCD-1 and fat synthesis-associated genes, such as PPARγ and C/EBPα, were significantly up-regulated in miR-125b-2KO mice (P < 0.05). Moreover, miR-125b-2KO altered HFD-induced changes in glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. In conclusion, we show that miR-125b-2 is a novel potential target for regulating fat accumulation, and also a candidate target to develop novel treatment strategies for obesity and diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diet, High-Fat*
  • Humans
  • Insulin Resistance*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn125 microRNA, mouse