Kato Soma, Kawata Kazumi, Nishida Takashi, Mizukawa Tomomi, Takigawa Masaharu, Iida Seiji, Kubota Satoshi
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Dentistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama, 700-8525, Japan.
Department of Oral Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
J Cell Commun Signal. 2023 Dec;17(4):1501-1515. doi: 10.1007/s12079-023-00782-7. Epub 2023 Sep 11.
Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) molecules promote endochondral ossification and articular cartilage regeneration, and circular RNAs (circRNAs), which arise from various genes and regulate gene expression by adsorbing miRNAs, are known to be synthesized from CCN2 in human vascular endothelial cells and other types of cells. However, in chondrocytes, not only the function but also the presence of CCN2-derived circRNA remains completely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the expression and function of CCN2-derived circRNAs in chondrocytes. Amplicons smaller than those from known CCN2-derived circRNAs were observed using RT-PCR analysis that could specifically amplify CCN2-derived circRNAs in human chondrocytic HCS-2/8 cells. The nucleotide sequences of the PCR products indicated novel circRNAs in the HCS-2/8 cells that were different from known CCN2-derived circRNAs. Moreover, the expression of several Ccn2-derived circRNAs in murine chondroblastic ATDC5 cells was confirmed and observed to change alongside chondrocytic differentiation. Next, one of these circRNAs was knocked down in HCS-2/8 cells to investigate the function of the human CCN2-derived circRNA. As a result, CCN2-derived circRNA knockdown significantly reduced the expression of aggrecan mRNA and proteoglycan synthesis. Our data suggest that CCN2-derived circRNAs are expressed in chondrocytes and play a role in chondrogenic differentiation. Production and role of CCN2-derived RNAs in chondrocytes.
细胞通讯网络因子2(CCN2)分子可促进软骨内骨化和关节软骨再生,而环状RNA(circRNA)由多种基因产生,并通过吸附微小RNA(miRNA)来调控基因表达,已知其可在人血管内皮细胞和其他类型细胞中由CCN2合成。然而,在软骨细胞中,不仅CCN2衍生的circRNA的功能完全未知,其存在情况也完全不明。在本研究中,我们调查了CCN2衍生的circRNA在软骨细胞中的表达及功能。使用逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)分析观察到,在人软骨细胞系HCS-2/8细胞中,存在比已知CCN2衍生的circRNA更小的扩增子,该分析能够特异性扩增CCN2衍生的circRNA。PCR产物的核苷酸序列表明,HCS-2/8细胞中存在与已知CCN2衍生的circRNA不同的新型circRNA。此外,在小鼠软骨母细胞系ATDC5细胞中证实了几种CCN2衍生的circRNA的表达,并观察到其表达随软骨细胞分化而变化。接下来,在HCS-2/8细胞中敲低其中一种circRNA,以研究人CCN2衍生的circRNA的功能。结果显示,敲低CCN2衍生的circRNA显著降低了聚集蛋白聚糖mRNA的表达和蛋白聚糖的合成。我们的数据表明,CCN2衍生的circRNA在软骨细胞中表达,并在软骨形成分化中发挥作用。CCN2衍生的RNA在软骨细胞中的产生及作用。