Characterization of muscle circular RNAs and their regulatory networks

To identify circRNAs expressed in the aging skeletal muscle of mice, we performed high-throughput RNA-sequencing of circRNA enriched gastrocnemius muscle RNA followed by circRNA identification. We identified more than 1200 circRNAs in total, while the old skeletal muscle expressed a higher number of circRNAs than the young muscle. A subset of abundant circRNAs was analyzed by RT-qPCR to determine differentially expressed circRNAs in old skeletal muscle compared to young muscle.