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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Use of Alu Element Containing Minigenes to Analyze Circular RNAs
Published on: March 10, 2020
Comprehensive analysis of circular RNA expression dynamics and competitive endogenous RNA network mechanisms during
Qing Li1,2, Shanfeng Du3, Jianmin Wang1,2
1Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, China.
Objective:
This study analyzes the dynamic expression profile and functional mechanisms of circular RNA (circRNA) in the liver of young goats during development from birth to the early weaning stage.
Methods:
This study performed transcriptome sequencing on liver tissues from Laiwu Black goats at five key developmental stages after birth (1 day, and 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks).
Results:
A total of 178 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified across the five developmental stages. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the source genes of these circRNAs are involved in key pathways such as immune response, lipid metabolism, and cell signaling. Persistently upregulated circRNAs (cluster 9) are related to tryptophan metabolism, potentially influencing the inflammatory response and energy homeostasis during weaning stress in young goats. In contrast, persistently downregulated circRNAs (cluster 0) may promote the change in liver metabolism from glucose to fatty acid oxidation by relieving inhibition on pathways such as AMPK and insulin signaling pathway. Based on the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism, the study constructed a regulatory network consisting of 20 circRNAs, 15 microRNAs, and 21 mRNAs. Specifically chi-miR-532-3p/CYP8B1/circ101504503815046736, chi-miR-542-5p/ACACB/circ10_21217626_21219471, and miR-542-5p/ACACB/circ10-21217626-21219471 were identified as potential key ceRNA axes. Furthermore, this study confirmed the regulatory relationship among chi-miR-532-3p, CYP8B1 and circ10-21217626-21219471 through dual luciferase reporter gene experiments.
Conclusion:
This study reveals the dynamic expression profile of circRNA during goat liver development, suggesting its potential role in regulating metabolic and immune pathways through the ceRNA mechanism. This offers a novel perspective on post-transcriptional regulation in ruminant in liver development.
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