CircEML1 facilitates the steroid synthesis in follicular granulosa cells of chicken through sponging gga-miR-449a to release IGF2BP3 expression

Genomics. 2023 Jan;115(1):110540. doi: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110540. Epub 2022 Dec 20.

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) induced competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) play crucial roles in various biological process by regulating target gene expression. However, the studies of ceRNA networks in the regulation of ovarian ovulation processing of chicken remains deficient compared to that in mammals. Our present study revealed that circEML1 was differential expressed in hen's ovarian tissues at different ages (15 W/20 W/30 W/68 W) and identified as a loop structure from EML1 pre-mRNA, which promoted the expressions of CYP19A1/StAR and E2/P4 secretion in follicular granulosa cells (GCs). Furthermore, circEML1 could serve as a sponge of gga-miR-449a and also found that IGF2BP3 was targeted by gga-miR-449a to co-participate in the steroidogenesis, which possibly act the regulatory role via mTOR/p38MAPK pathways. Meanwhile, in the rescue experiment, gga-miR-449a could reverse the promoting role of circEML1 to IGF2BP3 and steroidogenesis. Eventually, this study suggested that circEML1/gga-miR-449a/IGF2BP3 axis exerted an important role in the steroidogenesis in GCs of chicken.

Keywords: Follicular granulosa cell; Gga-miR-449a; IGF2BP3; Laying hens; Steroidogenesis; circEML1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chickens* / genetics
  • Chickens* / metabolism
  • Female
  • Granulosa Cells
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / metabolism
  • Mammals / genetics
  • MicroRNAs* / genetics
  • MicroRNAs* / metabolism
  • Ovary / metabolism
  • Steroids / metabolism

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Steroids
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3