LncRNA lnc_13814 promotes the cells apoptosis in granulosa cells of duck by acting as apla-miR-145-4 sponge

Integrative analysis of RNA-seq and Ribo-seq reveals that lncRNA-GRN regulates chicken follicular atresia through miR-103-3p/FBXW7 axis and encoding peptide

Follicular atresia in chickens seriously reduced the egg production and economic benefits of chickens. LncRNA plays a key role in the process of follicular atresia. In this study, RNA-seq and Ribo-seq were performed on normal and atretic follicles of Dahen broilers to screen out lncRNAs that may regulate follicle atresia, and to study the molecular mechanisms of their regulation. GRN granulin precursor (lncGRN, ID: 101748909) was highly expressed in atretic follicles with translational ability. A molecular regulatory network of lncGRN/miR-103-3p/FBXW7 was constructed through bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporting. LncGRN promoted the expression of FBXW7 by adsorption of miR-103-3p, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of chicken granulosa cells (GCs), promoting apoptosis of chicken GCs and inhibiting steroid hormone synthesis thus induced follicular atresia. Meanwhile, we also found a micropeptide named GRN-122aa derived by lncGRN which can promote follicular atresia. In conclusion, our study found that lncGRN promoted follicular atresia through the lncGRN/miR-103-3p/FBXW7 axis and the translation micropeptide GRN-122aa. This study provided new insight into the post-transcriptional regulation mechanism of lncGRN suggesting that lncGRN may act as a potential to regulate chicken follicle development, and provided a theoretical argument for further improving the egg production of chickens through molecular breeding.

Metformin enhances the survival ability of ovarian granulosa cells in polycystic ovary syndrome by promoting LINC00548 to suppress androgen receptor/klotho pathway

BACKGROUND

Metformin (Met) has been reported to play the key role in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the precise mechanisms underlying the actions of Met in PCOS remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to confirm the mechanism of Met interacting with a long non-coding RNA LINC00548 in PCOS.

METHODS

Ovarian granulosa cells (OGCs) were incubated 500 nM dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to construct PCOS in vitro model and then were treated 20 μM Met. A series of cell experiments including Cell Counting Kit-8, Terminal uridine nucleotide end labeling, and flow cytometry were performed to confirm the changes of OGC survival ability. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was conducted to determine the levels of LINC00548, whereas Western blotting was applied to determine the levels of androgen receptor (AR) and klotho.

RESULTS

Met improved the cell viability and suppressed cell apoptosis in DHT-treated OGCs. LINC00548 downregulated in DHT-treated OGCs was upregulated by Met, and its overexpression further enhanced the positive effects of Met on the survival ability of DHT-treated OGCs. In addition, Met could induce the upregulation of LINC00548 to suppress the activation of AR/klotho pathway in DHT-treated OGCs.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this study discovers that Met enhances the survival ability of OGCs in PCOS by elevating LINC00548 expression to suppress AR/klotho pathway.

Identification and functional analysis of ovarian lncRNAs during different egg laying periods in Taihe Black-Bone Chickens

Introduction: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) refers to a category of non-coding RNA molecules exceeding 200 nucleotides in length, which exerts a regulatory role in the context of ovarian development. There is a paucity of research examining the involvement of lncRNA in the regulation of ovary development in Taihe Black-Bone Chickens. In order to further investigate the egg laying regulation mechanisms of Taihe Black-Bone Chickens at different periods, transcriptome analysis was conducted on the ovarian tissues at different laying periods. Methods: This study randomly selected ovarian tissues from 12 chickens for RNA-seq. Four chickens were selected for each period, including the early laying period (102 days, Pre), the peak laying period (203 days, Peak), and the late laying period (394 days, Late). Based on our previous study of mRNA expression profiles in the same ovarian tissue, we identified three differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE lncRNAs) at different periods and searched for their cis- and trans-target genes to draw an lncRNA-mRNA network. Results and discussion: In three groups of ovarian tissues, we identified 136 DE lncRNAs, with 8 showing specific expression during the early laying period, 10 showing specific expression during the peak laying period, and 4 showing specific expression during the late laying period. The lncRNA-mRNA network revealed 16 pairs of lncRNA-target genes associated with 7 DE lncRNAs, and these 14 target genes were involved in the regulation of reproductive traits. Furthermore, these reproductive-related target genes were primarily associated with signaling pathways related to follicle and ovary development in Taihe Black-Bone Chickens, including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, TGF-beta signaling pathway, tyrosine metabolism, ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). This study offers valuable insights for a comprehensive understanding of the influence of lncRNAs on poultry reproductive traits.

Inhibition of LINC00958 hinders the progression of osteoarthritis through regulation of the miR-214-3p/FOXM1 axis

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the impact of the long noncoding RNA LINC00958 on cellular activity and oxidative stress in osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS

We performed bioinformatics analysis via StarBase and luciferase reporter assays to predict and validate the interactions between LINC00958 and miR-214-3p and between miR-214-3p and FOXM1. The expression levels of LINC00958, miR-214-3p, and FOXM1 were measured by qRT-PCR and western blotting. To assess effects on CHON-001 cells, we performed MTT proliferation assays, evaluated cytotoxicity with a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, and examined apoptosis through flow cytometry. Additionally, we measured the levels of apoptosis-related proteins, including BAX and BCL2, using western blotting. The secretion of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) was measured using ELISA.

RESULTS

Our findings confirmed that LINC00958 is a direct target of miR-214-3p. LINC00958 expression was upregulated but miR-214-3p expression was downregulated in both OA cells and IL-1β-stimulated CHON-001 cells compared to the corresponding control cells. Remarkably, miR-214-3p expression was further reduced after miR-214-3p inhibitor treatment but increased following LINC00958-siRNA stimulation. Silencing LINC00958 significantly decreased its expression, and this effect was reversed by miR-214-3p inhibitor treatment. Notably, LINC00958-siRNA transfection alleviated the IL-1β-induced inflammatory response, as evidenced by the increased cell viability, reduced LDH release, suppression of apoptosis, downregulated BAX expression, and elevated BCL2 levels. Moreover, LINC00958 silencing led to reduced secretion of inflammatory factors from IL-1β-stimulated CHON-001 cells. The opposite results were observed in the miR-214-3p inhibitor-transfected groups. Furthermore, in CHON-001 cells, miR-214-3p directly targeted FOXM1 and negatively regulated its expression.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that downregulating LINC00958 mitigates IL-1β-induced injury in CHON-001 cells through the miR-214-3p/FOXM1 axis. These results imply that LINC00958 plays a role in OA development and may be a valuable therapeutic target for OA.

ALKBH5 Stabilized N6-Methyladenosine-Modified LOC4191 to Suppress E. coli-Induced Apoptosis

E. coli is a ubiquitous pathogen that is responsible for over one million fatalities worldwide on an annual basis. In animals, E. coli can cause a variety of diseases, including mastitis in dairy cattle, which represents a potential public health hazard. However, the pathophysiology of E. coli remains unclear. We found that E. coli could induce global upregulation of m6A methylation and cause serious apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T cells). Furthermore, numerous m6A-modified lncRNAs were identified through MeRIP-seq. Interestingly, we found that the expression of LOC4191 with hypomethylation increased in MAC-T cells upon E. coli-induced apoptosis. Knocking down LOC4191 promoted E. coli-induced apoptosis and ROS levels through the caspase 3-PARP pathway. Meanwhile, knocking down ALKBH5 resulted in the promotion of apoptosis through upregulated ROS and arrested the cell cycle in MAC-T cells. ALKBH5 silencing accelerated LOC4191 decay by upregulating its m6A modification level, and the process was recognized by hnRNP A1. Therefore, this indicates that ALKBH5 stabilizes m6A-modified LOC4191 to suppress E. coli-induced apoptosis. This report discusses an initial investigation into the mechanism of m6A-modified lncRNA in cells under E. coli-induced apoptosis and provides novel insights into infectious diseases.

Long non-coding RNA MSTRG.5970.28 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of goose follicle granulosa cells via the miR-133a-3p/ANOS1 pathway

The development of follicles in the ovaries is a critical determinant of poultry egg production. There are existing studies on the follicular development patterns in poultry, but the specific regulatory mechanisms still need further study. In a previous study, we identified long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MSTRG.5970.28, anosmin 1 (ANOS1), and its predicted target miR-133a-3p that may be associated with goose ovary development. However, the function of MSTRG.5970.28 in goose granulosa cells and its regulatory mechanisms affecting granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis have not been reported. In the present study, MSTRG.5970.28 and miR-133a-3p overexpression and interference vectors were constructed. Combined with reverse-transcription real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), a dual luciferase activity assay, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and flow cytometric analysis, we investigated the role of the MSTRG.5970.28-miR-133a-3p-ANOS1 axis in goose follicular granulosa cells and the associated regulatory mechanisms. MSTRG.5970.28 was found to be localized in the cytoplasm and its expression was influenced by reproductive hormones. The targeting relationship among MSTRG.5970.28, ANOS1, and miR-133a-3p were verified by a dual luciferase activity assay. CCK-8 and apoptosis assays showed that MSTRG.5970.28 inhibited the proliferation and promoted apoptosis of goose granulosa cells. The regulatory role of miR-133a-3p on granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis was opposite to MSTRG.5970.28. We found that the proliferative and apoptotic effects of granulosa cells caused by MSTRG.5970.28 overexpression were attenuated by miR-133a-3p. MSTRG.5970.28 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA that regulates ANOS1 expression by sponging miR-133a-3p and thus exerts regulatory functions in granulosa cells. In sum, the present study identified lncRNA MSTRG.5970.28 as associated with goose ovary development, which affects the expression of ANOS1 by targeting miR-133a-3p, thereby influencing the proliferation and apoptosis of goose granulosa cells.