Long non-coding RNA SNHG6 promotes odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells via the
Wantong Zhang1, Yan Zhou2, Lin Ye2
1Department of Preventive Dentistry, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Luzhou, 646000, China; Institute of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
Abstract:
Small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that has been widely implicated in cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. This study investigated its role in the odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). qRT-PCR analysis revealed that SNHG6 expression increased during odontoblastic differentiation. In hDPSCs, SNHG6 was primarily localized in the cytoplasm. Functional studies using knockdown and overexpression demonstrated that SNHG6 positively regulates odontoblastic differentiation, as evidenced by alkaline phosphatase activity, Alizarin Red S staining, and the expression of differentiation markers DSPP and DMP-1. However, CCK-8 assays revealed SNHG6 had no significant impact on cell proliferation, and wound healing assays similarly showed it did not influence cell migration. Mechanistically, pathway inhibitors LY294002 and Rapamycin were used. Western blot analysis confirmed that SNHG6 promotes odontoblastic differentiation by activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, as shown by changes in phosphorylated Akt, mTOR, S6K1, and 4EBP1 levels. These findings highlight SNHG6 as a key regulator of hDPSC differentiation through PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling odontoblast formation.
