MicroRNA expression profiling of white adipose tissue in the torpor response of the house mouse (Mus musculus)

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a critical class of short non-coding RNAs, regulate metabolic processes associated with mammalian torpor (e.g., Mus musculus), though their precise functional mechanisms remain incompletely characterized. Here, we employ RNA-seq to profile miRNA expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) of active versus torpid C57BL/6 mice. Among 863 detected miRNAs, 12 showed significant differential expression during torpor. In silico prediction of miRNA targets revealed these miRNAs preferentially target cancer-related pathways, indicating their potential role in suppressing cell proliferation during metabolic depression. Intriguingly, steroid biosynthesis genes escaped miRNA-mediated inhibition, suggesting active endocrine modulation by WAT during torpor. Machine learning helped to identify biomarkers for torpor in the mice, specifically a minimum of three miRNAs were sufficient to distinguish adipose samples from control versus torpid conditions. Taken together, this study demonstrates the role of miRNAs as transcriptional regulators of cell signalling pathways within WAT during mouse torpor.

Keywords: Functional genomics; Heterothermy; Hypometabolism; Torpor; White adipose tissue; miRNA.