MicroRNA（miRNA）在啮齿类动物牙齿发育过程中扮演着重要的调控角色，但我们对其在大型哺乳类动物的牙齿发育中的作用知之甚少。现在，首都医科大学副校长王松灵教授领衔的团队利用Seq-Array?（芯片与二代测序相结合策略）技术方法鉴定出小型猪在下乳牙发育过程中的特定miRNA组和表达谱，此项研究也为探索小型猪牙齿发育的分子机制提供了重要信息。该研究成果发表在2012年12月刊PLoS ONE上。
王松灵教授团队首先使用二代深度测序技术大规模筛查小型猪（Sus scrofa）在下乳牙发育过程中的miRNA表达谱，鉴别出637条miRNA序列。深度测序获取的结果,可以广泛地覆盖不同发育时期和不同来源样品中的全部miRNA，而不需要任何已知的序列信息。然而，由于样品处理相对的高成本与低通量特性，如果用测序进行重复性的验证和（或是）表达谱分析将会发现花费很长时间，而且价格昂贵。
代替重复测序，使用芯片可以进行高通量的表达谱分析。芯片上可以涵盖完整的测序发现的序列信息，系统的分析表达谱，并进行差异表达分析。芯片具有快速、可重复，并且性价比高的特点。
研究人员将测序发现的候选miRNA，和105条已知的Sus scrofamiRNA定制合成在miRNA芯片上用于分析牙齿发育的四个时期：牙芽期，帽形期，钟形早期，钟形晚期的miRNA表达谱。芯片分析结果显示在四个发育时期有166个miRNA存在差异表达。生物信息学分析鉴别出18个关键miRNA，包括 let-7f，miR-128, miR-200b, 和miR-200c，在牙齿发育过程中也许扮演着关键角色。(生物谷Bioon.com)
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052256.
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MicroRNAome and Expression Profile of Developing Tooth Germ in Miniature Pigs.
Li A, Song T, Wang F, Liu D, Fan Z, Zhang C, He J, Wang S.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of rodent tooth development, but little is known about their role in tooth development in large mammals. We identified 637 unique miRNA sequences in a large-scale screen for miRNA expression profiles in the developing lower deciduous molars of miniature pigs (Sus scrofa) using Illumina Solexa deep sequencing. These candidate miRNAs and another 105 known Sus scrofa miRNAs were included in the custom-designed microarray and used to analyze the miRNA expression profile in the bud, cap, early bell, and late bell stages of tooth development. Microarray analysis revealed 166 transcripts that were differentially expressed in the four stages. Bioinformatic analysis identified 18 key miRNAs, including let-7f, miR-128, miR-200b, and miR-200c, that might play key roles in tooth development. Taken together, our results not only identified the specific microRNAome and expression profile in developing lower deciduous molars of the miniature pig, but they also provided useful information for investigating the molecular mechanism of tooth development in the miniature pig.
