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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.05.26.727982

A Novel MicroRNA-Odorant Receptor Axis Governs Neural Progenitor Cell Proliferation in Zebrafish CNS

Gupta, S.·Jana, S. K.·Mandal, S.·BISWAS, A.·Hui, S. P.
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Abstract

Spinal cord injury causes irreversible neurological deficits in mammals; yet zebrafish achieve complete functional recovery through molecular mechanisms that remain poorly defined. In this study we emphasized on a critical miRNA-mediated regulation of Ependymo-radial glial (ERG) cell proliferation in zebrafish spinal cord. Using next-generation sequencing we constructed a spatiotemporal miRNA profile across multiple post-injury time points and identified dre-miR-N1 as a novel injury-responsive miRNA involved in ERG proliferation among several differentially expressed novel miRNAs. Fluorescent in situ hybridization confirmed its robust lesion-site expression and gain-of-function analysis demonstrated that dre-miR-N1 significantly impaired functional recovery. Target prediction and validation unexpectedly identified the odorant receptor gene or42a1 as a high-confidence target and a combinatorial approach of miRNA gain-of-function and or42a1 loss-of-function showed that dre-miR-N1 modulates the proliferative behaviour of or42a1-expressing ERG cells under both homeostatic and injury conditions. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized miRNA-odorant receptor axis governing injury-induced ERG cell expansion establishing a novel molecular framework for endogenous neural regeneration in zebrafish.

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Gupta, S., Jana, S. K., Mandal, S., BISWAS, A., Hui, S. P.. 2026-05-27. A Novel MicroRNA-Odorant Receptor Axis Governs Neural Progenitor Cell Proliferation in Zebrafish CNS. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.05.26.727982

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