3′UTR shortening in muscle stem cell differentiation

Global changes in alternative polyadenylation (APA) leads to alterations in 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) length and is accompanied by cell differentiation.  However, APA role in muscle stem cell differentiation remains unclear.

The authors show that preferential 3′UTR shortening during stem cell differentiation occurs via CFI-mediated APA regulation.

They also demonstrate that 3′UTR shortening is a general strategy to escape repression by myomiRs.

This study reveals a tendency toward 3′UTR shortening, which alleviates miRNA repression of mRNAs critical for differentiation, ensuring efficient muscle differentiation and regeneration.

The authors used Matr3 expression to demonstrate the APA and miR-1/206 antagonistic role in  myogenesis and they show that mutating the proximal Matr3 polyadenylation site in mice impairs muscle regeneration.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1038/s44318-025-00663-2

https://sciencemission.com/3%E2%80%B2UTR-shortening-alleviates-miRNA-repression