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This is consistent with hbl-1 being one of the downstream targets of miR-71, although this modest effect alone is not expected to account for the vulval developmental phenotype in mir-71 mutant. In starved L1 worms, we detected only a slight increase in the mRNA level of hbl-1 in mir-71 mutants compared with that in wild type (∼10%), which may not be biologically significant. In contrast, the mir-71(lf) mutant worms recovering on hbl-1(RNAi) displayed precocious VPC divisions similar to that seen in wild type (Fig. 4E). Consistent with the observation described above, the 4-d–starved mir-71(lf) mutants recovering on the RNAi control plates displayed the highly penetrant retarded defect in VPC division. If this were true, the starved mir-71(lf); daf-16(lf) double-mutant worms should show a slow growth phenotype similar to that of daf-16(lf) worms, but no specific VPC timing defect. (H) Fluorescence and DIC images showing that a lin-42 3′UTR reporter was repressed in mir-71(+) worms (2/2 transgenic lines) and prominently derepressed in mir-71(−) worms (2/2 transgenic lines).

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(D) Bar graph showing that the delayed VPC timing defect of mir-71(lf) worms was enhanced by daf-16(lf) after 1 or 3 d of L1 starvation. (B) Bar graph showing the correlation between the severity of the retarded vulval precursor cell (VPC) timing defect of mir-71(lf) mutants and the duration of L1 starvation. Whereas the vulva of wild-type worms developed into the pyramidal stage (81 of 82 worms), the P6.p of mir-71(n4115, lf) mutant worms divided only once (83 of 89 worms). The computation-based prediction that age-1 and pdk-1 are potential targets of miR-71 was also reported in a recent study focusing on miRNA functions in aging where the mRNA level of pdk-1 was shown to be up-regulated in mir-71 worms (14). (C) Fluorescence and differential interference contrast (DIC) images showing that the age-1 3′UTR reporter was repressed in mir-71(+) worms (3/4 transgenic lines) but not in mir-71(lf) worms (4/4 transgenic lines).

L1 starvation assay was adapted from a previously described protocol (3). Worms strains were grown and maintained at 20 °C as described (29). This result is consistent with the observation that miR-71 is specifically required for the starvation-induced stress response (Fig. S5). For example, we observed a robust retarded mutant phenotype in the vulval lineage but did not see obvious defects in seam cell differentiation or alae formation. It seems plausible that miRNAs that control developmental timing are also involved in regulating the metabolic rate through repressing the InsR pathway activity.