Capturing microRNA targets using an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-trap approach

Identifying targets is critical for understanding the biological effects of microRNA (miRNA) expression. The challenge lies in characterizing the cohort of targets for a specific miRNA, especially when targets are being actively down-regulated in miRNA- RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-messengerRNA (mRNA) complexes. We have developed a robust and versatile strategy called RISCtrap to stabilize and purify targets from this transient interaction. Its utility was demonstrated by determining specific high-confidence target datasets for miR-124, miR-132, and miR-181 that contained known and previously unknown transcripts. Two previously unknown miR-132 targets identified with RISCtrap, adaptor protein CT10 regulator of kinase 1 (CRK1) and tight junction-associated protein 1 (TJAP1), were shown to be endogenously regulated by miR-132 in adult mouse forebrain. The datasets, moreover, differed in the number of targets and in the types and frequency of microRNA recognition element (MRE) motifs, thus revealing a previously underappreciated level of specificity in the target sets regulated by individual miRNAs.