Transcriptome profiling of de-differentiated chondrocytes over-expressing miR-138 or miR-181ab1 during osteogenic induction

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of miR-138 or miR-181ab1 on regulating osteogenesis. Gene expression profiles were analyzed in human de-differentiated chondrocytes (DDCs) over-expressing either miR-138 or miR-181ab1 following day 2 or day 7 of osteogenic induction. DDCs were isolated from human osteoarthritic articular cartilage and over-expression of miR-138 or miR-181ab1 was induced following lentiviral transduction of DDCs over-expressing the precursor form of miR-138 or miR-181ab1. Control DDCs were transduced with lentivirus expressing a non-silencing (NS) control RNA. Total RNA was harvested at day 2 or day 7 following osteogenic induction and subjected to RNA-Seq analysis. Triplicate samples of de-differentiated chondrocytes at P3-4 were transduced with lentivirus expressing either precuror miR-138, precursor miR-181ab1 or lentivirus expressing a non-silencing (NS) control precursor RNA. Transuced cells were then induced to undergo ostegenic differentiation. At days 2 and 7 following osteogenic induction, total RNA was isolated and processed for high throughput RNA sequencing.