The Oscillating miRNA 959-964 cluster impacts Drosophila feeding time and other circadian outputs [miRNA-seq]

Using high throughput sequencing of Drosophila head RNA, a small set of miRNAs that undergo robust circadian oscillations in levels were discovered. We concentrated on a cluster of six miRNAs, mir-959-964, all of which peak at about ZT12 or lights-off. The data indicate that the cluster pri-miRNA is transcribed under bona fide circadian transcriptional control and that all 6 mature miRNAs have short half-lives, a requirement for oscillating. Manipulation of food intake dramatically affects the levels and timing of cluster miRNA transcription with no more than minor effects on the core circadian oscillator. This indicates that the central clock regulates feeding, which in turn regulates proper levels and cycling of the cluster miRNAs. Viable Gal4 knock-in as well as cluster knock-out and over-expression strains were used to localize cluster miRNA expression as well as explore their functions. The adult head fat body is a major site of expression, and feeding behavior, innate immunity, metabolism, and perhaps stress responses are under cluster miRNA regulation. The feeding behavior results indicate that there is a feedback circuit between feeding time and cluster miRNA function as well as a surprising role of post-transcriptional regulation in these behaviors and physiology. Six samples of small RNA libraries (RNA size 19 to 29 nucleotides long) were prepared from Drosophila heads, each collected at one circadian time point during a light-dark cycle (ZT0, ZT4, ZT8, ZT12, ZT16, ZT20).