Expression Patterns of Circular RNAs from Primary Kinase Transcripts in the Mammary Glands of Lactating Rats

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genomics
• RNA Biology

Background:

• Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of RNA molecules with significant biological functions.
• The specific roles of circRNAs in the mammary gland, particularly during lactation, are not yet well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize the circRNAs present in the mammary gland of lactating rats.
• To investigate the expression patterns of circRNAs at different lactation stages.

Main Methods:

• Deep sequencing was employed on RNase R-enriched samples from lactating rat mammary glands.
• A computational pipeline was used to predict circRNAs, followed by Gene Ontology analysis of their producing genes.

Main Results:

• A substantial number of circRNAs (6,824 and 4,523) were identified across two lactation stages, with many showing stage-specific expression.
• Most candidate circRNAs originated from noncoding intronic and intergenic regions, indicating gene-specific circularization.
• Genes encoding circRNAs were enriched for protein kinases, and four genes linked to circRNA transcription were also implicated in cancer.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a foundational dataset for comparing breast cancer profiles with mammary gland circRNAs.
• Identified circRNAs serve as candidates for future functional studies in breast development and cancer research.