@article {Weigelte201800149, author = {Carina M Weigelt and Oliver Hahn and Katharina Arlt and Matthias Gruhn and Annika J Jahn and Jacqueline E{\ss}er and Jennifer A Werner and Corinna Klein and Ansgar B{\"u}schges and Sebastian Gr{\"o}nke and Linda Partridge}, title = {Loss of miR-210 leads to progressive retinal degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster}, volume = {2}, number = {1}, elocation-id = {e201800149}, year = {2019}, doi = {10.26508/lsa.201800149}, publisher = {Life Science Alliance}, abstract = {miRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. We used small RNA sequencing to identify tissue-specific miRNAs in the adult brain, thorax, gut, and fat body of Drosophila melanogaster. One of the most brain-specific miRNAs that we identified was miR-210, an evolutionarily highly conserved miRNA implicated in the regulation of hypoxia in mammals. In Drosophila, we show that miR-210 is specifically expressed in sensory organs, including photoreceptors. miR-210 knockout mutants are not sensitive toward hypoxia but show progressive degradation of photoreceptor cells, accompanied by decreased photoreceptor potential, demonstrating an important function of miR-210 in photoreceptor maintenance and survival.}, URL = {https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/2/1/e201800149}, eprint = {https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/2/1/e201800149.full.pdf}, journal = {Life Science Alliance} }