A New MicroRNA Cluster Involved in the Reprogramming to a Pluripotent State.

Reprogramming of somatic cells to a pluripotent state is a complex, multistage process that is regulated by many factors. Among these factors, non-coding RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been intensively studied in recent years. MiRNAs play an important role in many processes, particularly in cell reprogramming. In this study, we investigated the reprogramming of rat fibroblasts with a deleted locus encoding a cluster comprising 14 miRNAs (from miR-743a to miR-465). The deletion of this locus was demonstrated to decrease significantly the efficiency of the cell reprogramming. In addition, the cells produced by the reprogramming differed from rat embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, which was an indication that reprogramming in these cells had not been completed. We suggest that this miRNA cluster or some of its members are involved in regulating the reprogramming of rat cells to a pluripotent state.