miR-148a-3p promotes rabbit preadipocyte differentiation by targeting PTEN

Although emerging data support crucial roles for microRNAs (miRNAs) during adipogenesis, the detailed mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, it was shown that in rabbits, levels of miR-148a-3p not only increased in white adipose tissue during early stages of growth but also during in vitro cultured preadipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-148a-3p significantly upregulated the mRNA levels of PPARγ, C/EBPα, and FABP4, as well as the protein levels of PPARγ, as indicated by qPCR and western blotting analyses. Overexpression of miR-148a-3p also promoted intracellular triglyceride accumulation. In contrast, downregulation of miR-148a-3p inhibited the differentiation of rabbit preadipocytes. Next, based on target gene prediction and a luciferase reporter assay, we further demonstrated that miR-148a-3p directly targeted one of the 3′ untranslated regions of PTEN. Finally, it was observed inhibition of PTEN by siRNA promoted rabbit preadipocyte differentiation. Taken together, our results suggested that miR-148a-3p could be involved in regulating rabbit preadipocyte differentiation through inhibiting expression of PTEN, which further highlighted the importance of miRNAs during adipogenesis.