Investigation of circRNA Expression Profiles and Analysis of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Networks in an Animal (Mouse) Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

• Published in: Current eye research 2020-09, Vol.45 (9), p.1173-1180
• Main Authors: Liu, Xiao, Zhang, Liwei, Wang, Jiang-Hui, Zeng, Huilan, Zou, Jingling, Tan, Wei, Zhao, Han, He, Yan, Shi, Jingming, Yoshida, Shigeo, Li, Yunping, Zhou, Yedi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: age-related macular degeneration; choroidal neovascularization; Circular RNA; competing endogenous RNA network; microarray
• ISSN: 0271-3683; 1460-2202
• DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2020.1722179

To (i) identify dysregulated circular RNAs (circRNAs) and (ii) elucidate their potential functions in an animal (mouse) model of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), a prominent feature of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Expression profiles for circRNA were identified by microarray analysis. Selected circRNAs were confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Bioinformatic analyses of identified circRNAs were performed to predict (i) circRNA/microRNA interactions and (ii) occurrence of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were applied to predict both the biological functions and potential pathways of the altered parental genes involved in CNV. Microarray analysis indicated that 100 circRNAs in RPE-choroid-sclera complexes from CNV mice were significantly altered compared with those from control mice (fold change≥1.5, p