miR-429 inhibits palmitic acid-induced apoptosis of porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes by targeting Sox5

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate several physiological processes of cells after transcription, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we found that 500 μM of palmitic acid (PA) could significantly induce the apoptosis of porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes (p < 0.05). The overexpression of miR-429 decreased the apoptotic rate of porcine preadipocytes and inhibited the expression of the proapoptotic gene P53 (p < 0.05). In addition, miR-429 can specifically bind to the 3′ untranslated region of Sox5, and the upregulation of miR-429 downregulated Sox5 expression. However, Sox5 overexpression promoted the apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes (p < 0.01); the co-transfection of miR-429 and pcDNA3.1-Sox5 into preadipocytes could reverse the inhibition of PA-induced apoptosis by miR-429. In conclusion, the present results provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which miR-429 and Sox5 regulate the apoptosis of porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes.