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Differential circular RNA expression profiles in umbilical cord blood exosomes from preeclampsia patients
Minkai Cao1, Juan Wen2, Chaozhi Bu3
1Department of Obstetrics, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China.
Insights
Exosomal circular RNAs (circRNAs) from umbilical cord blood are implicated in preeclampsia (PE) pathogenesis. This study identified differentially expressed circRNAs and their regulatory roles in PE development.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Exosomal circular RNAs (circRNAs) are key regulators in development and disease.
- The role of umbilical cord blood exosomal circRNAs in preeclampsia (PE) is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential expression profiles of circRNAs in umbilical cord blood exosomes from PE patients.
- To explore the potential roles and interactions of these circRNAs in PE pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Microarray technology was used to profile circRNA expression in exosomes.
- Bioinformatics analyses, including Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analysis, were performed.
- circRNA/miRNA interactions were predicted.
Main Results:
- 143 up-regulated and 161 down-regulated circRNAs were identified in PE patients' exosomes.
- Enriched pathways included metabolic processes and trophoblast functions, crucial for PE.
- The PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was identified as a key pathway in PE.
Conclusions:
- Exosomal circRNAs play a significant role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
- These findings provide a basis for further research into exosomal circRNAs in PE.
Background:
Exosomal circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of physiological development and disease pathogenesis. However, the roles of exosomal circRNAs from umbilical cord blood in preeclampsia (PE) occurrence remains poorly understood.
Methods:
We used microarray technology to establish the differential circRNA expression profiles in umbilical cord blood exosomes from PE patients compared with normal controls. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to further predict the potential effects of the differentially expressed circRNAs and their interactions with miRNAs.
Results:
According to the microarray data, we identified 143 significantly up-regulated circRNAs and 161 significantly down-regulated circRNAs in umbilical cord blood exosomes of PE patients compared with controls. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biological pathway analyses showed that circRNA parental genes involved in the regulation of metabolic process, trophoblast growth and invasion were significantly enriched, which play important roles in PE development. Moreover, pathway network was constructed to reveal the key pathways in PE, such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Further circRNA/miRNA interactions analysis demonstrated that most exosomal circRNAs had miRNA binding sites, and some miRNAs were associated with PE.
Conclusions:
Our results highlight the importance of exosomal circRNAs in the pathogenesis of PE and lay a foundation for extensive studies on the role of exosomal circRNAs in PE development.
