AUTHOR=Alwin Prem Anand A. , Alvarez-Bolado Gonzalo , Wizenmann Andrea 

TITLE=MiR-9 and the Midbrain-Hindbrain Boundary: A Showcase for the Limited Functional Conservation and Regulatory Complexity of MicroRNAs

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2020.586158

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2020.586158

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p>MicroRNAs regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional levels. Some of them appear to regulate brain development and are involved in neurodevelopmental disorders. This has led to the suggestion that the role of microRNAs in neuronal development and function may be more central than previously appreciated. Here, we review the data about miR-9 function to depict the subtlety, complexity, flexibility and limited functional conservation of this essential developmental regulatory system. On this basis we propose that species-specific actions of miR-9 could underlie to a large degree species differences in brain size, shape and function.</p>