Transcriptome sequencing-based expression profiling of oxidative stress-related genes and circRNAs in Ricin Toxin-induced macrophage pyroptosis

Objective Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of Ricin Toxin (RT)-induced pyroptosis in mouse monocyte macrophage RAW264.7 were conducted to identify genes and circular RNA (circRNA) expression profiles associated with oxidative stress and to preliminarily analyse their potential functions.Methods RAW264.7 cells were treated with RT to construct a model of pyroptosis, divided into control and model groups, and the model group was treated with RT (80 ng/mL) for 4 h. The mRNA and circRNA expression profiles were obtained using transcriptome sequencing technology (RNA-Seq) and analysed bioinformatically.Results In comparison to the control group, a total of 2930 mRNAs and 24 circRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in RAW264.7 cells of the model group. An endogenous competitive RNA (ceRNA) network comprising 7 circRNAs, 12 miRNAs and 13 mRNAs was constructed based on the network database. The analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment revealed that the circRNAs and mRNAs in this ceRNA network were primarily associated with oxidative stress response, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, and NF-κB signaling pathway. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was employed to identify key genes involved in the regulation of oxidative stress and cellular pyroptosis, including Tsc1, Sod2, Src, Mmp9, Atm, Fbln5, Epas1, and Mapt.Conclusion The mRNAs and circRNAs that were differentially expressed in this study may be involved in the regulation of RT-induced RAW264.7 cell pyroptosis through the oxidative stress pathway.