Because miR-380 is predicted to target PCSK1 and two POMC transcription factors, NEUROD1 [51] and TBX19 [52] (Table 5), we expected the decrease in expression of miR-380 (42%) in the pituitaries of HE vs. LE steers to result in increased expression of POMC and PCSK1. However, microarray (S3 Table) and RT-PCR (Table 4) results showed no difference in expression level of NEUROD1 and TBX19 mRNA in pituitaries of HE vs. LE steers, whereas both POMC and PCSK1were down-regulated. This evidence concerns the gene NEUROD1 and hereditary elliptocytosis.