MicroRNA-374a, -4680, and -133b suppress cell proliferation through the regulation of genes associated with human cleft palate in cultured human palate cells

Abstract

Background

Cleft palate (CP) is the second most common congenital birth defect; however, the relationship between CP-associated genes and epigenetic regulation remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the contribution of microRNAs (miRNAs) to cell proliferation and regulation of genes involved in CP development.

Methods

In order to identify all genes for which mutations or association/linkage have been found in individuals with CP, we conducted a systematic literature search, followed by bioinformatics analyses for these genes. We validated the bioinformatics results experimentally by conducting cell proliferation assays and miRNA-gene regulatory analyses in cultured human palatal mesenchymal cells treated with each miRNA mimic.

Results

We identified 131 CP-associated genes in the systematic review. The bioinformatics analysis indicated that the CP genes were associated with signaling pathways, microRNAs (miRNAs), metabolic pathways, and cell proliferation. A total 17 miRNAs were recognized as potential modifiers of human CP genes. To validate miRNA function in cell proliferation, a main cause of CP, we conducted cell proliferation/viability assays for the top 11 candidate miRNAs from our bioinformatics analysis. Overexpression of miR-133b, miR-374a-5p, and miR-4680-3p resulted in a more than 30% reduction in cell proliferation activity in human palatal mesenchymal cell cultures. We found that several downstream target CP genes predicted by the bioinformatics analyses were significantly downregulated through induction of these miRNAs (FGFR1, GCH1, PAX7, SMC2, and SUMO1 by miR-133b; ARNT, BMP2, CRISPLD1, FGFR2, JARID2, MSX1, NOG, RHPN2, RUNX2, WNT5A and ZNF236 by miR-374a-5p; and ERBB2, JADE1, MTHFD1 and WNT5A by miR-4680-3p) in cultured cells.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that miR-374a-5p, miR-4680-3p, and miR-133b regulate expression of genes that are involved in the etiology of human CP, providing insight into the association between CP-associated genes and potential targets of miRNAs in palate development.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12920-019-0546-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background

Cleft lip with/without cleft palate (CL/CP) is the second most common birth defect in humans worldwide [1]. CP includes both cleft lip with cleft palate (CLP) and isolated cleft palate (aka cleft palate only, CPO). Prevalence of CP is estimated to be approximately 1/500 to 1/2500 live births, with ethnic and geographic variations (the highest prevalence is seen in Asian and Native American populations, and the lowest in African-derived populations) [1–3]. Approximately 70% of CLP and 50% of CPO cases are non-syndromic (i.e. there is no deformity in other parts of the body), and the remainder are syndromic (CP is part of the clinical features of the condition) [4–7]. Previous studies have identified a large number of gene mutations, chromosomal abnormalities, and teratogens in CP [1, 2]. In addition to genetic mutations, genetic background (e.g. ethnicity, population of origin, and gender), substantially influences CP prevalence. Maternal age, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies are known, or strongly suspected, experimental risk factors for CP. Therefore, the etiology of CP is complex, and its risk factors are still being elucidated [8–10]. Recent studies suggest that environmental factors control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level through epigenetic factors [11], including microRNAs (miRNAs), which are short noncoding RNAs [12].

In this study, we identified the networks and pathways of CP-associated genes and miRNAs potentially involved in the pathology of human CP, through bioinformatics analyses of CP-associated genes and subsequent experimental validation of miRNAs that regulate cell proliferation and expression of CP-associated genes in cultured human palatal mesenchymal cells.

Methods

Eligibility criteria for the systematic review

This systematic review followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline and corresponding checklist. The criteria for including publications were the following: 1) articles described genes associated with human CP; 2) were published as original articles; and 3) were published in English. The exclusion criteria were the following: 1) gene mutations were not described; 2) CP was not involved; 3) CP was caused by environmental factors.

Information sources and search

The Medline (Ovid), PubMed (National Library of Medicine), and EMBASE (Ovid) databases were used for the online searches. Any exceptional studies missed by the database searches were retrieved by a Scopus (Elsevier) search. The bibliographies of highly pertinent articles were examined to avoid any errors in the systematic review. RefWorks (Proquest) and Primary Excel Workbook were used to track all the search strategies and results for the screening of the titles and abstracts of papers found in the database search, as previously described [13]. All data and codebooks related to the systematic review were documented in the Primary Excel Workbook.

Category enrichment analysis

Category enrichment analysis was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database and the WebGestalt tool, as previously described [14]. Gene sets with a false discovery rate-adjusted p-value < 0.05 and at least four human CP genes were considered as significantly enriched categories. The Gene Ontology (GO) database [15] was used to identify categories enriched with a significant number of human CP genes, as previously described [14].

miRNA-target gene analysis

The miRTarbase, a database for experimentally validated miRNA-gene interactions, and three databases (miRanda, PITA, and TargetScan) for predicted miRNA-gene interactions were used to verify the miRNA-gene relationships, as previously described [14].

Cell culture

Human palatal mesenchymal cells (HEPM cells, American Type Culture Collection) were cultured in Minimum Essential Medium Eagle-alpha modification (αMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), penicillin/streptomycin, and L-glutamine. The cells were plated onto 96-well cell culture plates at a density of 10,000/well and treated with a mimic for negative control, miR-27a-3p, miR-27b-3p, miR-133b, miR-203a-3p, miR-300-3p, miR-374a-5p, miR-374b-5p, miR-381-3p, miR-495-3p, miR-4680-3p, and miR-7854-3p (mirVana miRNA mimic, ThermoFisher Scientific) using the TransIT-X2 system (Mirus Bio LLC, Madison, WI), according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Cell proliferation assays were conducted using the cell counting kit 8 (Dojindo Molecular Technologies, Gaithersburg, MD) (n = 6 per group).

Quantitative RT-PCR

Total RNA was extracted from HEPM cells (n = 6 per group) with the QIAshredder and RNeasy mini extraction kit (QIAGEN) or the miRNeasy mini extraction kit (QIAGEN), as previously described [16]. The sequences of the PCR primers are shown in Additional file 1: Table S1.

Statistical analysis

A p value < 0.05 in two-tailed student’s t tests was considered to be statistically significant. All the data were parametric and were represented as mean ± standard deviation, as previously described [16].

Results

Literature search

A total of 5201 articles were identified in the systematic review, and 1594 duplicates were removed. The remaining 3607 articles were screened, using the titles and abstracts, independently by two screeners; 2722 papers were excluded based on the exclusion criteria. A total of 885 papers were further assessed through full-text review: 364 studies met all inclusion criteria, and 521 articles were excluded. As a result, we identified 364 studies eligible to identify genetic mutations associated with CP (Fig. 1). After collecting data from the search engines, we performed a one-by-one literature review to obtain an accurate list of human genes involved in CLP and CPO. From these 364 studies, we identified 131 genes as human CP-associated genes (Additional file 2: Table S2, additional file 3: Table S3 and Additional file 4; Table S4).

Fig. 1.

PRISMA flowchart for study selection. A graphical representation of the flow of citations reviewed in the course of the systematic review was generated using a PRISMA flow diagram

KEGG pathway analysis

Our central hypothesis is that genes associated with CP share common features among wide arrays of functions and pathways. To define functions, pathways, and networks crucial for palatal formation, we performed bioinformatics analyses of the genes from our gene list. The regulator pathway annotation was performed based on scoring and visualization of the pathways collected in the KEGG database. To summarize the cellular functions of genes from our list, we performed category enrichment analysis for a variety of functional relations. Among KEGG pathways, 28 pathways were significantly enriched with genes from the curated gene list (Table 1 and Additional file 5: Table S5). Eight of these pathways were related to cellular signaling: mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway (16 genes), phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway (16 genes), Rap1 signaling pathway (15 genes), Ras signaling pathway (15 genes), Hippo signaling pathway (15 genes), signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells (14 genes), WNT (Wingless-type MMTV integration site family) signaling pathway (7 genes), and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway (7 genes). The other two pathways were related to the structural aspects of cells and tissues: regulation of actin cytoskeleton (15 genes) and adherens junction (6 genes). In addition, the enrichment of two pathways suggested metabolic involvement: metabolic pathways (7 genes) and endocytosis (4 genes). While no specific metabolic pathways were indicated by the KEGG analysis, the KEGG metabolic pathway network showed that these seven genes play roles in cholesterol and steroid metabolic processes: DHODH in pyrimidine metabolism; CYP1A1 in retinol metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis; DHCR7 in cholesterol synthesis; DHCR24 in steroid biosynthesis; MTHFR in folate metabolism; PAFAH1B1 in ether lipid metabolism; and NAT2 in caffeine metabolism. The remaining nine pathways included various aspects of cancer pathogenesis: pathways in cancer (32 genes), breast cancer (20 genes), melanoma (13 genes), basal cell carcinoma (10 genes), proteoglycans in cancer (10 genes), chemical carcinogenesis (9 genes), miRNAs in cancer (8 genes), prostate cancer (7 genes), and central carbon metabolism in cancer (4 genes). Interestingly, melanogenesis (6 genes) was also indicated as an enriched pathway, suggesting that the fate of cranial neural crest (CNC) cells, the majority of craniofacial mesenchymal cells and a source of melanocytes, was altered in CP.

Table 1.

KEGG pathways enriched with a significant number of genes involved in CP

KEGG pathway	CP genes in pathway
Pathways in cancer	DVL3;ERBB2;FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;GSTP1;ARNT;LEF1;PDGFRA;PTCH1;RARA;BMP2;BMP4;TGFA;TGFB1;TGFB3;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;AXIN2;FGF18;WNT3A;FGF19;CDH1
Breast cancer	DVL3;ERBB2;FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;JAG2;LEF1;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;AXIN2;FGF18;WNT3A;FGF19
Melanoma	FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;PDGFRA;FGF18;FGF19;CDH1
Hippo signaling pathway	DVL3;FGF1;GDF6;LEF1;BMP2;BMP4;BMP7;TGFB1;TGFB3;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;AXIN2;WNT3A;CDH1
Basal cell carcinoma	DVL3;LEF1;PTCH1;BMP2;BMP4;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;AXIN2;WNT3A
Signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells	DVL3;FGF2;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;JARID2;PAX6;BMP2;BMP4;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;AXIN2;WNT3A
Rap1 signaling pathway	FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;PDGFRA;FGF18;FGF19;CDH1
Regulation of actin cytoskeleton	FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;MYH9;PDGFRA;FGF18;FGF19
MAPK signaling pathway	FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;PDGFRA;TGFB1;TGFB3;FGF18;FGF19
Ras signaling pathway	FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;TBK1;PDGFRA;FGF18;FGF19
Chemical carcinogenesis	NAT2;ADH1C;CYP1A1;CYP1B1;GSTP1;GSTT1;ARNT;UGT1A7;NAT1
One carbon pool by folate	ALDH1L1;DHFR;MTHFD1;MTHFR;MTR
PI3K-Akt signaling pathway	COL2A1;FGF1;FGF2;FGF3;FGF4;FGF7;FGF8;FGF9;FGF10;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;NOS3;PDGFRA;FGF18;FGF19
TGF-beta signaling pathway	GDF6;BMP2;BMP4;BMP7;TGFB1;TGFB3;NOG
Prostate cancer	ERBB2;FGFR1;FGFR2;GSTP1;LEF1;PDGFRA;TGFA
Cysteine and methionine metabolism	AHCYL2;BHMT2;MTR;BHMT;CBS
Proteoglycans in cancer	ERBB2;FGF2;FGFR1;PTCH1;SDC2;TGFB1;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;WNT3A
Metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450	ADH1C;CYP1A1;CYP1B1;GSTP1;GSTT1;UGT1A7
Adherens junction	ERBB2;FGFR1;LEF1;NECTIN1;NECTIN2;CDH1
EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance	ERBB2;FGF2;FGFR3;FGFR2;PDGFRA;TGFA
MicroRNAs in cancer	CYP1B1;ERBB2;FGFR3;PDGFRA;ABCB1;TPM1;TP63;WNT3A
Caffeine metabolism	NAT2;NAT1
Tryptophan metabolism	TPH2;CYP1A1;CYP1B1;DDC
Central carbon metabolism in cancer	ERBB2;FGFR1;FGFR3;FGFR2;PDGFRA
Melanogenesis	DVL3;LEF1;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;WNT3A
Arginine biosynthesis	ASL;ASS1;NOS3
Wnt signaling pathway	DVL3;LEF1;WNT5A;WNT11;WNT10A;AXIN2;WNT3A
Biosynthesis of amino acids	ASL;ASS1;MTR;PAH;CBS

GO functional enrichment analysis

We analyzed the CP genes from our curated list using the GO database resource to identify the enriched functional categories. The GO biological processes showed a strong association with morphogenesis: inner ear morphogenesis (10 genes), face morphogenesis (9 genes), embryonic limb morphogenesis (8 genes), branching involved in ureteric bud morphogenesis (6 genes), embryonic cranial skeleton morphogenesis (6 genes), and branching involved in salivary gland morphogenesis (5 genes). Further enriched terms emphasized development: palate development (13 genes), skeletal system development (10 genes), and pituitary gland development (6 genes) (Table 2 and Additional file 6: Table S6). We also identified regionalization (30 genes) as an enriched term, suggesting that the arrangement and patterning of cells play important roles in palate development. All genes identified in our literature search were involved in development and morphogenesis.

Table 2.

GO biological process terms enriched with a significant number of genes involved in CP

GO biological process	CP genes in biological process category
GO:0045893 positive regulation of transcription, DNA-templated	WNT5A, FGF7, WNT3A, GDF6, TGFB3, PAX6, FGF10, TP63, CDH1, PAX3, TGFB1, ARNT, FOXF2, BCL3, RARA, RUNX2, FGF2, BMP4, DVL3, BMP2, LEF1, TBX1, IRF6, IRF7, FOXE1, TFAP2A, ROR2, PTCH1, WNT11, BMP7
GO:0014066 regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, ERBB2, PDGFRA, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0036092 phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate biosynthetic process	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0046854 phosphatidylinositol phosphorylation	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, ERBB2, PDGFRA, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0008543 fibroblast growth factor receptor signaling pathway	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, FGF10, UBB, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0048015 phosphatidylinositol-mediated signaling	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, ERBB2, PDGFRA, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0060021 palate development	WNT5A, SUMO1, MSX1, GABRB3, WNT3A, FOXF2, TGFB3, LEF1, TFAP2A, COL2A1, WNT11, VAX1, COL11A2
GO:0018108 peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation	FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, RYK, ERBB2, PDGFRA, FGF10, ROR2, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0045944 positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter	FGFR2, WNT5A, NOG, TBK1, WNT3A, TGFB3, PAX6, FGF10, TP63, PAX3, GREM1, TGFB1, ARNT, JADE1, PAX9, PAX7, FOXF2, BCL3, RARA, FGF1, FGF2, FGF4, BMP4, BMP2, MAFB, LEF1, GRHL3, TBX1, MSX1, IRF7, TFAP2A, UBB, BMP7
GO:0051781 positive regulation of cell division	FGFR2, FGF8, FGF7, FGF9, TGFB3, TGFA, FGF1, FGF2, TGFB1, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0042475 odontogenesis of dentin-containing tooth	BMP4, BMP2, MSX1, JAG2, TP63, LEF1, FGF10, TBX1, BMP7, RUNX2, FGF4
GO:0050679 positive regulation of epithelial cell proliferation	FGFR2, BMP4, NOG, FGF7, FGF9, ERBB2, TGFA, FGF10, TBX1, FGF1, TGFB1
GO:0008284 positive regulation of cell proliferation	FGFR2, FGF19, FGFR1, FGF18, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, WNT3A, LEF1, TBX1, GREM1, NTN1, TGFB1, PDGFRA, TGFA, RARA, FGF1, FGF2, RUNX2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0060325 face morphogenesis	NOG, MSX1, CRISPLD1, PAX9, CRISPLD2, TGFB3, LEF1, TBX1, TGFB1
GO:0000165 MAPK cascade	FGFR2, FGF19, FGFR1, FGF18, FGF8, FGFR3, FGF7, FGF9, ERBB2, FGF10, TGFB1, PDGFRA, UBB, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0001837 epithelial to mesenchymal transition	FGFR2, WNT5A, BMP2, NOG, FOXF2, LEF1, WNT11, BMP7, TGFB1
GO:0042472 inner ear morphogenesis	FGFR2, FGFR1, MAFB, FGF9, WNT3A, TFAP2A, ROR2, COL2A1, TBX1, NTN1
GO:0002062 chondrocyte differentiation	BMP4, FGFR1, BMP2, FGFR3, FGF9, COL2A1, COL11A2, RUNX2, TGFB1
GO:0008285 negative regulation of cell proliferation	BMP4, BMP2, CYP1B1, JARID2, TGFB3, FGF10, BRIP1, TIMP2, TGFB1, MSX1, IRF6, ROR2, TFAP2A, NOS3, RARA, AXIN2, BMP7, FGF2
GO:0070374 positive regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade	FGF19, FGFR2, BMP4, FGF18, BMP2, FGF8, FGFR3, PDGFRA, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, TGFB1, FGF4
GO:0042060 wound healing	WNT5A, NOG, ERBB2, PDGFRA, TGFB3, TGFA, FGF10, GRHL3, FGF2, TPM1
GO:0001759 organ induction	BMP4, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2
GO:0030326 embryonic limb morphogenesis	FGFR1, FGF9, TP63, LEF1, PTCH1, SP8, GREM1, BMP7
GO:0045892 negative regulation of transcription, DNA-templated	WNT5A, BMP4, BMP2, JARID2, TBX22, LEF1, TP63, GREM1, TGFB1, SUMO1, PAX9, FOXF2, FOXE1, BCL3, TFAP2A, WNT11, RARA, BMP7, RUNX2
GO:0090090 negative regulation of canonical Wnt signaling pathway	WNT5A, JADE1, DVL3, BMP2, NOG, ROR2, LEF1, WNT11, UBB, GREM1, AXIN2, MLLT3
GO:0042476 odontogenesis	FGFR2, BMP4, WNT10A, FGF8, PAX9, TGFB3, AXIN2
GO:0043547 positive regulation of GTPase activity	FGFR2, FGF19, DVL3, FGFR1, FGF18, FGF8, FGFR3, FGF7, FGF9, ERBB2, FGF10, GRHL3, ARHGAP29, PDGFRA, WNT11, AXIN2, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0009086 methionine biosynthetic process	MTHFD1, BHMT2, MTR, BHMT, MTRR
GO:0042487 regulation of odontogenesis of dentin-containing tooth	BMP4, WNT10A, BMP2, FGF8, RUNX2
GO:0030509 BMP signaling pathway	BMP4, BMP2, NOG, FGF8, GDF6, ROR2, LEF1, BMP7, RUNX2
GO:0001701 in utero embryonic development	FGFR2, FGFR1, BMP2, NOG, MSX1, WNT3A, TGFB3, JAG2, PTCH1, NOS3, MYH9, TPM1
GO:0043410 positive regulation of MAPK cascade	FGFR2, FGFR1, BMP2, FGFR3, RYK, FGF9, FGF10, TBX1, TIMP2
GO:0046655 folic acid metabolic process	MTHFD1, MTHFR, ALDH1L1, DHFR, SLC19A1, MTRR
GO:0042493 response to drug	DVL3, MTHFR, FGF8, CYP1A1, ASS1, SLC6A4, TGFA, CDH1, PTCH1, ABCB1, ABCA1, TIMP2, GAD1, TGFB1
GO:0010628 positive regulation of gene expression	WNT10A, BMP2, NOG, FGF8, FGF9, WNT3A, ERBB2, SLC6A4, PAX6, TFAP2A, LEF1, WNT11, TGFB1
GO:0003148 outflow tract septum morphogenesis	FGFR2, BMP4, DVL3, FGF8, TBX1, RARA
GO:0001501 skeletal system development	FGFR1, BMP2, NOG, FGFR3, TCOF1, JAG2, TP63, COL2A1, COL11A2, BMP7
GO:0001525 angiogenesis	FGFR2, FGFR1, FGF18, CYP1B1, FGF9, TGFA, FGF10, TBX1, NOS3, STAB2, FGF1, MYH9
GO:0060445 branching involved in salivary gland morphogenesis	FGFR2, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, BMP7
GO:0045165 cell fate commitment	FGFR2, WNT5A, WNT10A, BMP2, FGF8, ROR2, WNT11
GO:0002053 positive regulation of mesenchymal cell proliferation	FGFR2, WNT5A, FGFR1, FGF9, TP63, TBX1
GO:0031069 hair follicle morphogenesis	FGFR2, WNT10A, FGF7, FOXE1, TP63, FGF10
GO:0000122 negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter	BMP4, FGFR2, FGFR1, NOG, BMP2, JARID2, FGF9, TBX22, PAX6, LEF1, TP63, VAX1, TGFB1, MSX1, IRF7, FOXE1, TFAP2A, PTCH1, RARA, UBB
GO:0021983 pituitary gland development	BMP4, NOG, MSX1, PAX6, FGF10, CDH1
GO:0048701 embryonic cranial skeleton morphogenesis	FGFR2, BMP4, PDGFRA, TFAP2A, TBX1, RUNX2
GO:0001934 positive regulation of protein phosphorylation	FGF19, BMP4, DVL3, BMP2, WNT3A, ERBB2, TBX1, AXIN2, TGFB1
GO:0032355 response to estradiol	ASS1, SLC6A4, FGF10, PTCH1, RARA, BMP7, TGFB1, GSTP1
GO:0030501 positive regulation of bone mineralization	BMP4, BMP2, TGFB3, TFAP2A, BMP7, TGFB1
GO:0060395 SMAD protein signal transduction	BMP4, BMP2, GDF6, TGFB3, ROR2, BMP7, TGFB1
GO:0043066 negative regulation of apoptotic process	BMP4, WNT5A, TP63, LEF1, GREM1, MSX1, PAX7, TGFA, BCL3, TFAP2A, RARA, WNT11, UBB, GSTP1, FGF4
GO:0001657 ureteric bud development	FGFR2, BMP4, FGFR1, RARA, BMP7, TGFB1
GO:0001649 osteoblast differentiation	BMP4, BMP2, NOG, FGF9, WNT3A, LEF1, WNT11, RUNX2
GO:0071300 cellular response to retinoic acid	WNT5A, WNT3A, SLC6A4, TBX1, RARA, WNT11, ABCA1
GO:0001658 branching involved in ureteric bud morphogenesis	BMP4, BMP2, FGF8, PTCH1, GREM1, FGF2
GO:0000187 activation of MAPK activity	WNT5A, BMP2, TGFB3, TGFA, FGF10, UBB, FGF1, FGF2
GO:0048762 mesenchymal cell differentiation	FGFR2, FGFR1, BMP2, BMP7
GO:0030324 lung development	FGFR2, WNT5A, FGF18, CRISPLD2, NOS3, FGF1, FGF2
GO:0001843 neural tube closure	MTHFD1, BMP4, NOG, GRHL3, PTCH1, RARA, TGFB1
GO:0045666 positive regulation of neuron differentiation	BMP4, FGFR1, BMP2, GDF6, RARA, TIMP2, BMP7
GO:0010862 positive regulation of pathway-restricted SMAD protein phosphorylation	BMP4, BMP2, GDF6, TGFB3, BMP7, TGFB1

Among the GO molecular functions terms, there was an enrichment of molecular binding: heparin binding (12 genes), fibroblast growth factor receptor binding (9 genes), and frizzled binding (7 genes) (Table 3 and Additional file 6: Table S6). A total of 24 out of 104 genes (23%) were in the category of growth factor binding, growth factor receptor binding, SMAD binding, Frizzled binding, and beta-catenin binding, indicating that these molecules were directly involved in growth signaling pathway as ligands, receptors, and mediators. The remaining enriched terms in the molecular function included: chondrocyte differentiation (9 genes), osteoblast differentiation (8 genes), odontogenesis (7 genes), neural tube closure (7 genes), positive regulation of neuron differentiation (7 genes), and positive regulation of bone mineralization (6 genes). These enriched categories include downstream targets and modifiers of signaling pathways initiated by growth factors and morphogens.

Table 3.

GO molecular function terms enriched with a significant number of genes involved in CP

GO molecular function	CP genes in molecular function category
GO:0046934 phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase activity	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, ERBB2, PDGFRA, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0016303 1-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase activity	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0008083 growth factor activity	BMP4, FGF19, FGF18, BMP2, FGF8, FGF7, FGF9, GDF6, JAG2, TGFB3, FGF10, TGFB1, TGFA, FGF1, BMP7, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0005088 Ras guanyl-nucleotide exchange factor activity	FGF19, FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, ERBB2, PDGFRA, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0005104 fibroblast growth factor receptor binding	FGF19, FGF8, FGF7, FGF9, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0004713 protein tyrosine kinase activity	FGFR2, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, FGF7, FGFR3, FGF9, RYK, ERBB2, FGF10, FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4
GO:0008201 heparin binding	FGFR2, BMP4, FGFR1, FGF7, CRISPLD2, FGF9, FGF10, PTCH1, FGF1, BMP7, FGF2, FGF4
GO:0005109 frizzled binding	WNT5A, DVL3, WNT10A, RYK, WNT3A, ROR2, WNT11
GO:0042803 protein homodimerization activity	FGFR2, FGFR1, NOG, GDF6, SLC6A4, NECTIN1, NECTIN2, TBX1, MYH9, MID1, TGFB1, GCH1, UGT1A7, STOM, PDGFRA, TFAP2A, PCYT1A, CBS

Among the GO cellular components terms, several terms were enriched in the lipid bilayer components of cellular membranes and correlated with the enrichment of cholesterol and sterol metabolism as shown in the KEGG pathway analysis: extracellular region (36 genes), extracellular space (27 genes), cell surface (16 genes), and proteinaceous extracellular matrix (12 genes) (Table 4 and Additional file 6: Table S6). Owing to the large number of transcription factors in our list of CP genes, transcription factor complex (10 genes) was also an enriched term. Interestingly, additional enriched terms were specific to the neuron: synapse (9 genes) and axon (6 genes). This suggests that the fate of CNC cells, a source of the central and peripheral nervous system, might be altered and that defects in nerve formation and function may cause CP in humans.

Table 4.

GO cellular component terms enriched with a significant number of genes involved in CP

GO cellular component	CP genes in cellular component category
GO:0005576 extracellular region	FGF19, FGFR2, WNT5A, FGF18, FGFR1, FGF8, NOG, FGFR3, FGF7, FGF9, WNT3A, GDF6, TGFB3, FGF10, COL2A1, CDH1, MMP3, TIMP2, TGFB1, CRISPLD1, CRISPLD2, COL11A2, FGF1, PRSS35, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4, BMP4, WNT10A, BMP2, NECTIN1, TCN2, NTN1, WNT11, WDR1, BMP7
GO:0005615 extracellular space	WNT5A, FGF18, FGF8, NOG, FGF9, GDF6, WNT3A, TGFB3, FGF10, COL2A1, GREM1, TIMP2, MMP3, TGFB1, SERPINA6, TGFA, FGF1, FGF2, BMP4, WNT10A, BMP2, TCN2, STOM, WNT11, UBB, BMP7, GSTP1
GO:0005578 proteinaceous extracellular matrix	WNT5A, BMP4, WNT10A, CRISPLD2, WNT3A, WNT11, COL11A2, FGF1, TIMP2, MMP3, TGFB1, MMP25
GO:0009986 cell surface	WNT5A, FGFR2, BMP2, FGFR3, WNT3A, TGFB3, FGF10, NECTIN2, ABCB1, GREM1, TIMP2, TGFB1, SDC2, TNS1, TGFA, RARA

Environmental and epigenetic factors

In addition to gene mutations, both genetic background and environmental factors influence CP prevalence. Recent studies suggest that environmental factors can regulate miRNAs that control gene expression at post-transcriptional levels [17]. To investigate how miRNAs regulate CP genes, we conducted an enrichment analysis of known miRNAs and their targets (Table 5 and Additional file 7: Table S7). With p-value < 0.005, our list of CP genes was significantly enriched with the targets of 18 miRNAs: hsa-miR-27a (mir-27 family; 11 CP genes), hsa-miR-27b (mir-27 family; 11 CP genes), hsa-miR-103 (mir-103 family; 8 CP genes), hsa-miR-133a (mir-133 family; 6 CP genes), hsa-miR-133b (mir-133 family; 11 CP genes), hsa-miR-148a-5p (mir-148 family; 4 CP genes), hsa-miR-203a-3p (mir-203 family; 9 CP genes), hsa-miR-300 (mir-154 family; 15 CP genes), hsa-miR-324-5p (mir-324 family; 9 CP genes), hsa-miR-374a (mir-374 family; 15 CP genes), hsa-miR-374b (mir-374 family; 15 CP genes), hsa-miR-381 (mir-154 family; 13 CP genes), hsa-miR-495 (mir-329 family; 15 CP genes), hsa-miR-3976 (unknown family; 4 CP genes), hsa-miR-4453 (unknown family; 4 CP genes), hsa-miR-4538 (unknown family; 4 CP genes), hsa-miR-4680-3p (mir-4680 family; 5 CP genes), and hsa-miR-7854-3p (unknown family; 6 CP genes). Thus, miRNAs may regulate the expression of multiple CP-associated genes and play an important role in the pathology of CP.

Table 5.

miRNA families that target a motif in a significant number of genes involved in CP

miRNA	CP genes with target MOTIF
hsa-miR-300	ABCA1;CRISPLD1;FGF7;FGFR2;FOXF2;GABRB3;GAD1;JAG2;LEF1;MID1;MLLT3;PTCH1;WNT5A;CRISPLD2;GREM1
hsa-miR-381	ABCA1;CRISPLD1;FGF7;FGFR2;FOXF2;GABRB3;GAD1;JAG2;LEF1;MID1;MLLT3;PTCH1;WNT5A
hsa-miR-495	ARNT;BMP2;CYP1B1;FGF1;FGF19;FGF7;GAD1;JAG2;MLLT3;NTN1;PRSS35;PTCH1;RUNX2;SUMO1;VAX1
hsa-miR-374a	ARNT;BMP2;CRISPLD1;FGFR2;JARID2;MSX1;NOG;NTN1;PAX6;RHPN2;RUNX2;TGFA;TNS1;WNT5A;ZNF236
hsa-miR-374b	ARNT;BMP2;CRISPLD1;FGFR2;JARID2;MSX1;NOG;NTN1;PAX6;RHPN2;RUNX2;TGFA;TNS1;WNT5A;ZNF236
hsa-miR-4680-3p	ERBB2;JADE1;MTHFD1;TBK1;WNT5A
hsa-miR-203a-3p	CDH1;FGF2;GREM1;PAX6;RUNX2;STOM;SUMO1;TBK1;TP63
hsa-miR-7854-3p	BRIP1;CBS;CRISPLD2;FGF19;FGFR1;MSX1
hsa-miR-133b	FGF1;FGFR1;GCH1;MLLT3;MYH9;PAX7;SMC2;STOM;SUMO1;ZNF236;GSTP1
hsa-miR-27a	ABCA1;BCL3;GABRB3;GCH1;GDF6;GREM1;MN1;PAX9;PDGFRA;RARA;SUMO1
hsa-miR-27b	ABCA1;BCL3;GABRB3;GCH1;GDF6;GREM1;MN1;PAX9;PDGFRA;RARA;SUMO1
hsa-miR-4453	CBS;MYH9;RYK;SP8
hsa-miR-4538	CBS;MYH9;RYK;SP8
hsa-miR-103	AXIN2;FGF2;FGF7;FGFR2;GAD1;MYH9;TPM1;WNT3A
hsa-miR-133a	FGF1;GCH1;MLLT3;MYH9;SUMO1;ZNF236
hsa-miR-148a-5p	ABCA1;CRISPLD2;CYP1B1;TNS1
hsa-miR-324-5p	GDF6;RUNX2;SLC6A4;ARNT;ASS1;CBS;MTHFD1;PAX3;TCOF1
hsa-miR-3976	AHCYL2;CYP1B1;GDF6;WDR1

Experimental validation

The expression of target mRNAs is anti-correlated with miRNA expression [18]. To test whether the induction of these miRNAs caused proliferation defects through the inhibition of target genes, human palatal mesenchymal cells were treated with each miRNA mimic. The mimics for either miR-133b, miR-374a-5p or miR-4680-3p significantly inhibited (reduction of more than 30% of cell number) cell proliferation in human palatal mesenchymal cells; by contrast, treatment with mimics for miR-27a-3p, miR-27b-3p, miR-203a-3p, miR-300-3p, miR-374b-5p, and miR-495-3p resulted in no proliferation defects (Fig. 2 and Additional file 8: Table S8). The mimics for either miR-381-3p or miR-7854-3p slightly inhibited (an approximate reduction of 10%) cell proliferation.

Fig. 2.

Effect of predicted miRNAs on cell proliferation. Cell proliferation assays in human palatal fibroblasts treated with the indicated miRNA mimics. Negative control (control, light blue), miR-300-3p (orange), miR-381-3p (light gray), miR-495-3p (yellow), miR-374a-5p (blue), miR-374b-5p (light green), miR-4680-3p (dark blue), miR-203a-3p (brown), miR-7854-3p (gray), miR-133b (light brown), miR-27a-3p (navy), and miR27b-3p (green). ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group

To identify target genes regulated by miR-133b, miR-374a-5p, and miR-4680-3p, we conducted quantitative RT-PCR analyses for the predicted target genes (FGF1, FGFR1, GCH1, GSTP1, MLLT3, MYH9, PAX7, SMC2, STOM, SUMO1, and ZNF236 for hsa-miR-133b; ARNT, BMP2, CRISPLD1, FGFR1, JARID2, MSX1, NOG, NTN1, RHPN2, RUNX2, TNS1, WNT5A, and ZNF236 for hsa-miR-374a-5p; and ERBB2, JADE1, MTHFD1, and WNT5A for hsa-miR-4680-3p) in human palatal mesenchymal cells treated with either miR-133b, miR-374a-5p, or miR-4680-3p. PAX6 and TGFA were excluded from the gene expression experiments because Pax6 is expressed only in the cephalic ectoderm [19] and TGFA is expressed at the medial edge epithelium of the fusing palatal shelves [20, 21]. The expression of ERBB2, JADE1, MTHFD1 and WNT5A was significantly downregulated in cultured human palatal mesenchymal cells treated with miR-4680-3p mimic (Fig. 3a). To further evaluate the anti-correlation of miRNAs and target genes, we treated cells with a miR-4680-3p inhibitor and found that expression of ERBB2 and MTHFD1 was significantly upregulated (Fig. 3b). Therefore, these results indicate that ERBB2 and MTHFD1 are downstream target genes of miR-4680-3p in cultured human palate cells.

Fig. 3.

Effect of miR-4680-3p on predicted target genes. a Quantitative RT-PCR for the indicated genes after treatment with negative control (light blue) or miR-4680-3p mimic (orange). * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group. b Quantitative RT-PCR for the indicated genes after treatment with negative control (light blue) or miR-4680-3p inhibitor (light green). ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group

Next, we investigated the downstream target genes of miR-374a-5p. We found that expression of ARNT, BMP2, CRISPLD1, FGFR2, JARID2, MSX1, NOG, RUNX2, WNT5A, and ZNF236 was significantly downregulated in cultured cells treated with miR-374a-5p mimic (Fig. 4a). By contrast, a miR-374a-5p inhibitor induced the expression of CRISPLD1, FGFR2, JARID2, MSX1, TNS1, and ZNF236 (Fig. 4b). Therefore, these results indicate that miR-374a-5p can regulate the expression of CRISPLD1, FGFR2, JARID2, MSX1, and ZNF236 in a dose-dependent manner in cultured human palate cells.

Fig. 4.

Effect of miR-374a-5p on predicted target genes. a Quantitative RT-PCR for the indicated genes after treatment with negative control (light blue) or miR-374a-5p mimic (orange). * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group. b Quantitative RT-PCR for the indicated genes after treatment with negative control (light blue) or miR-374a-5p inhibitor (light green). * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group

Lastly, we assessed the predicted miR-133b downstream target genes. We found that expression of FGFR1, GCH1, PAX7, SMC2, and SUMO1 was significantly downregulated in cultured cells treated with miR-133b mimic (Fig. 5a), but expression of GCH1, MLLT3, PAX7, STOM2 and ZNF236 was significantly increased with a miR-133b inhibitor (Fig. 5b). These results indicate that miR-133b can regulate the expression of GCH1 and PAX7 in a dose-dependent manner in cultured human palate cells. Taken together, our experimental results provide proof of function for some of the predicted target genes (ERBB2 and MTHFD1 for miR-4680-3p; CRISPLD1, FGFR2, JARID2, MSX1, and ZNF236 for miR-374a-5p; and GCH1 and PAX7 for miR-133b) in cultured human palate cells.

Fig. 5.

Effect of miR-133b on predicted target genes. a Quantitative RT-PCR for the indicated genes after treatment with negative control (light blue) or miR-133b mimic (orange). * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group. b Quantitative RT-PCR for the indicated genes after treatment with negative control (light blue) or miR-133b inhibitor (light green). * p < 0.05, *** p < 0.001. Each treatment group was compared with the control. n = 6 per group

Discussion

CP-associated genes were grouped based on their common features through GO and KEGG analyses. As expected, most of the pathways highlighted have been shown to be involved in the growth and development process. For example, in the top enriched pathways, the MAPK pathway regulated by growth factors (e.g. hedgehog, TGFβ, and WNT) can regulate a wide variety of cellular functions crucial for palatogenesis, including cell proliferation and differentiation [22]. The GO term annotation showed that the transcription process is the most significantly enriched (67%). This suggests that transcription factors regulated by cellular pathways that control the growth and fusion of the palatal shelves are crucial for palate development. For example, loss of TGFβ receptor type II (Tgfbr2) results in ectopic p38 MAPK activation and altered gene expression of Adcy2 and Pde4b, which regulate lipid metabolism and cause CP in mice [23]. In the enriched cellular component terms, we identified a focus on membranes and other structures dependent on lipids and lipid bilayers for their structure and function. Six genes in the CP gene list were involved in the cilium: GLI2, GLI3, KIF7, OFD1, PAFAH1B1, and WDR19. GLI2 and GLI3 locate in the primary cilium and translocate into the nuclei upon binding of hedgehog ligands to activate and/or inactivate hedgehog signaling [24, 25]. KIF7 is a motor protein in all cilia that regulates hedgehog signaling [26–28], and OFD1 and WDR19 localize around the basal body at the base of cilia [29–31]. PAFAH1B1 is a regulator of the dynein motor proteins that traffic molecules back down the cilium [32–34]. Thus, the accumulating evidences indicate that primary cilia contain abundant hedgehog receptors and mediators, and that they regulate hedgehog signaling activity.

In non-syndromic CP, maternal environmental factors most likely increase the risk of CP with a link to some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), while these SNPs alone do not achieve genome-wide significance. For example, SNPs in GSTP1, TBK1 and ZNF236 seem to be associated with a higher risk of CP with maternal smoking [35, 36]. Similarly, SNPs in MLLT3 and SMC2 seem to increase CP risk with alcohol consumption during the peri-conceptual period [35]. Importantly, smoking and alcohol consumption, which are associated not only with cancer but also with other diseases, alter miRNA expression in the serum and cells [37–41]. During development, maternal alcohol consumption directly influences miRNA expression in mice and zebrafish [42–44]. Recent studies suggest that miRNAs may pass through the placenta from mothers to embryos to directly regulate embryogenesis [45, 46]. In this study, we found that some CP genes are regulated by multiple miRNAs, two miRNAs for GSTP1, 26 miRNAs for MLLT3, 29 miRNAs for SMC2, 22 miRNAs for TBK1, and 56 miRNAs for ZNF236. These CP genes may have a higher chance of being altered by environmental factors.

Conclusions

Our computational analyses have predicted the possible roles and mechanisms of miRNAs altered by environmental factors in CP. Overexpression of miR-374a, miR-4680, and miR-133b suppresses cell proliferation through the regulation of their target genes in cultured HEPM cells. While this systematic review shows much strength in the collection of CP-associated genes, it presents some limitations in the identification of causative genes due to the complex etiology of CP (e.g. genes not specific to CP, CP that is a part of syndromic features, no complete penetrance, secondary CP affected by other craniofacial anomalies).

Abbreviations

CL/CP

Cleft lip with/without cleft palate

CLO

Cleft lip only

CLP

Cleft lip with cleft palate

CNC

Cranial neural crest

CPO

Cleft palate only

miRNA

MicroRNA

Authors’ contributions

Conceived and designed the study: AS and JI. Performed the systematic literature search and review: MG and NA. Performed bioinformatics analyses: AL and ZZ. Conducted experiments: AS, MZ, and JI. Analyzed the data: AL, AS, ZZ, and JI. Wrote the paper: AS, ZZ, and JI. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH (DE024759, DE026208, DE026767, and DE026509 to JI), and a faculty start-up fund from the UTHealth School of Dentistry to JI. ZZ is supported by NIH grants R01LM012806 and R21CA196508. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Availability of data and materials

All the data from this study are available as supplemental information.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.