RNA-seq reveals co-dysregulated circular RNAs in the adenomyosis eutopic endometrium and endometrial-myometrial interface

Zhengchen Guo; Hua Duan; Sha Wang; Sirui Wang; Qi Lin; Yazhu Li

doi:10.1186/s12905-022-01871-2

RNA-seq reveals co-dysregulated circular RNAs in the adenomyosis eutopic endometrium and endometrial-myometrial interface

BMC Womens Health. 2022 Jul 15;22(1):293. doi: 10.1186/s12905-022-01871-2.

Authors

Zhengchen Guo¹, Hua Duan², Sha Wang¹, Sirui Wang¹, Qi Lin¹, Yazhu Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 17 Qihelou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100006, China.
² Department of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 17 Qihelou Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100006, China. duanhua@ccmu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Background: Uterine adenomyosis is associated with chronic pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and infertility. The pathogenesis of adenomyosis is still unclear. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in several benign diseases and malignant tumors. We aimed to explore the co-dysregulated circular RNA profile in the eutopic endometrium and endometrial-myometrial interface (EMI) of adenomyosis.

Methods: Total RNA was extracted from the eutopic endometrium and EMI of 5 patients with adenomyosis and 3 patients without adenomyosis. Next-generation sequencing was performed to identify the circRNA expression profile of the two tissue types. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict circRNA-binding miRNAs and miRNA-binding mRNAs and construct ceRNA networks, and functional enrichment analysis was performed to predict the biological functions of circRNAs.

Results: Among the adenomyosis patients, 760 circRNAs were significantly upregulated and 119 circRNAs were significantly downregulated in the EMI of adenomyosis, while 47 circRNAs were significantly upregulated and 17 circRNAs were significantly downregulated in the eutopic endometrium of adenomyosis. We identified hsa_circ_0002144 and hsa_circ_0005806 as co-upregulated and hsa_circ_0079536 and hsa_circ_0024766 as co-downregulated in the eutopic endometrium and EMI. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to construct a ceRNA network of codifferentially expressed circRNAs. The MAPK signaling pathway is the most important signaling pathway involved in the function of the ceRNA network.

Conclusions: Co-dysregulated circRNAs were present in the eutopic endometrium and EMI of adenomyosis. MiRNA binding sites were observed for all of these circRNAs and found to regulate gene expression. Co-dysregulated circRNAs may induce the eutopic endometrial invagination process through the MAPK signaling pathway and promote the progression of adenomyosis.

Keywords: Adenomyosis; Endometrial–myometrial interface; Endometrium; Expression profile; RNA sequencing; circRNA.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adenomyosis* / genetics
Endometrium / metabolism
Female
Humans
MicroRNAs* / genetics
RNA, Circular / genetics
RNA-Seq

Substances

MicroRNAs
RNA, Circular