Effects of short‐term starvation on the rhythmic expression of microRNAs in skeletal muscle of goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Molecular oscillators exist in peripheral tissues such as in skeletal muscles and diet is a dominant factor to affect Zeitgeber for peripheral clocks. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the knowledge of starvation effects on miRNA rhythmic expression remains limited in teleost. In this study, the circadian expression pattern of miRNAs was investigated in goldfish muscle upon restricting feeding treatment. The data showed that 15 miRNAs exhibited a daily rhythmicity among the 70 miRNAs assayed in muscles of normally fed goldfish. While after 7‐day and 15‐day fasting treatment, 23 and 18 miRNAs showed circadian rhythmicity in goldfish muscles respectively. Only 4 miRNAs (miR‐23a, miR‐29, miR‐199a‐3p and miR‐455) exhibited a daily rhythmicity in all three groups of different nutrient treatments. Correlation analysis of the circadian‐miRNAs indicates different feeding stimulation could alter the circadian‐miRNA components and their expression profile in skeletal muscle upon short‐term feed deprivation. These miRNAs may play important roles in regulating circadian expression of genes involved in muscle cell differentiation and growth by nutritional alteration, thus having a potential application in fish aquaculture.