Introduction: Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although the disease is usually complex, several genes that cause monogenic forms of glaucoma have also been identified. Among these, mutations in WDR36 and LTBP2 can cause, respectively, primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary congenital glaucoma (PCG). MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are now recognized as important regulators of various normal and pathogenic biological processes. In this study, we aimed to identify miRNAs that may target WDR36 and LTBP2.

Methods: Various miRNA related publically available web sites including MirWalk were used to identify miRNAs that are predicted to target the 3’non-coding regions of WDR36 and LTBP2. Among those identified, one miRNA that is expressed in the trabecular meshwork, an eye tissue with relevance to glaucoma, was selected for further study. The 3'UTR of WDR36 and LTBP2 was cloned downstream of a luciferase reporter gene in a psiCHECK2 vector. Silencing of the miRNA were assessed by dual luciferase assays after transfections of the miRNA and the psiCHECK2 vectors into Hek-293 cells

Results: Mir204 was among the miRNAs predicted by bioinformatics tools to target both WDR36 and LTBP2. In the dual luciferase assay, this miRNA caused down regulation of the luciferase gene harboring the 3'UTR sequence of WDR36 or LTBP2

Discussion: The empirical studies confirmed the bioinformatics predictions and suggested that mir204 does in fact target WDR36 or LTBP2. Mir204 has previously been shown to affect various ocular functions. Our results indicate that this miRNA also affects the expression of two glaucoma causing genes.