circ-ZUFSP regulates trophoblasts migration and invasion through sponging miR-203 to regulate STOX1 expression

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), defined as two or more consecutive pregnancy losses before 12 weeks of gestation with or without previous live births. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that play important roles in gene expression regulation and trophoblasts function during embryo development. This study aimed to evaluate the function mechanism of circRNAs regulating trophoblasts function in the occurrence and progression RSA. Through overexpression and down-regulation of circ-ZUFSP, we investigated the effect of circ-ZUFSP on the function of trophoblasts and found loss of circ-ZUFSP suppressed trophoblasts migration and invasion in vitro. Moreover, loss of circ-ZUFSP regulated trophoblasts migration and invasion via regulation of miR-203. Furthermore, STOX1 was revealed to a target of miR-203, and down-regulation of STOX1 reversed circ-ZUFSP enhanced cell invasion, suggesting that circ-ZUFSP might regulate STOX1 expression through sponging miR-203 in HTR-8/SVneo cells. In addition, low expression of circ-ZUFSP, STOX1 and high expression of miR-203 were testified in placental tissues of RSA mice. Our study demonstrated a molecular mechanism of circ-ZUFSP regulating trophoblasts migration and invasion, which might provide a novel indicator for early diagnosis and potential treatment of RSA.