Microarray expression profile and functional analysis of circular RNAs in choroidal neovascularization

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a leading cause of visual loss in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, the molecular mechanism for CNV progression is still unclear. This study aimed to identify CNV-related circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non-coding RNAs with diverse functions. A total of 117 circRNAs were differentially expressed in the murine CNV model by microarrays. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed to identify the functions of selected circRNAs. The host genes of these circRNAs were predicted to be targeted to neurogenesis (ontology: biological process), proteinaceous extracellular matrix (ECM) (ontology: cellular component), and binding (ontology: molecular function). Differentially expressed circRNAs-mediated regulatory networks were enriched in ECM receptor interaction. Most of the dysregulated circRNAs could potentially bind to five different miRNAs by TargetScan and miRanda. Specifically, circ_15752 was identified in this circRNAs pool which may facilitate vascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, suggesting a critical role in endothelial angiogenesis. Our work suggests that dysregulated circRNAs may be involved in CNV pathogenesis and serve as potential biomarkers for CNV.