Alteration of circRNA Expression in rDFCs During Osteogenic Differentiation

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel among noncoding RNAs and play crucial roles in various biological processes. However, little is known about the functions of circRNAs during osteogenic differentiation. The current study aimed to investigate the differential expression of circRNAs in rat dental follicle cells (rDFCs) upon osteogenic medium culture. Those potential circRNAs were identified by RNA high-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to further explore circRNA biofunctions. 266 differentially-expressed circRNAs were revealed and involved in several important signaling pathways, which include MAPK and TGF-β signaling pathways. Among these, circFgfr2 and its predicted downstream targets, miR-133 and BMP6, were identified both in vivo and in vitro. For further validation, circFgfr2 was overexpressed during osteogenic differentiation, bringing about the down-regulation of miR-133 and the up-regulation of BMP6. Taken together, the results revealed the circRNA expression profiles and indicate the importance of circRNAs during the osteogenic differentiation of rDFCs. In addition, circFgfr2 might promote osteogenesis by controlling miR-133/BMP6, which possibly provide new target to manipulate tooth regeneration and bone formation. dental follicle cells were collected from4 SD rats and were grouped into control groups and ostepgenic induction groups.After 28-day incubation, RNA was collected from each group and RNA high throughput sequencing was conducted.