Functional analysis of UCA1 long non-coding RNA in bone formation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24119
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0907:Oral science and related fields
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: Ishikawa Takanori 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域鹿児島大学歯学系, 助教 (70845809)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 骨芽細胞 / lncRNA / UCA1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We confirmed the expression of the osteoblastic gene and UCA1 gene in the process of differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts. As a result, osteoblastic gene was induced, but UCA1 gene expression was reduced. In addition, forced expression of UCA1 in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by a lentiviral vector enhanced ALP gene expression at 1 week after the initiation of osteoblastic differentiation. However, the effect on ALP gene expression decreased along with time, and it was no longer observed 3 weeks after the infection. These results indicate that UCA1 promotes differentiation at an early stage of osteoblastic differentiation but may not affect the subsequent differentiation process, while its expression also declines.

Free Research Field

歯科矯正学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

長鎖非コードRNAはその多くの機能が不明であって、骨格形成に関与する骨芽細胞の、分化や形質維持と当該RNAの 関連についての報告はわずかである。本研究では長鎖非コードRNAの1つであるUCA1が、骨芽細胞分化の初期段階で分化に関与する可能性を見出した。この作用メカニズムや、UCA1を持たないマウスなどの別種哺乳類にはない、ヒトの骨格特性への関与の検討はこれからの課題となるが、それを含めて将来的には当該RNAの分子機能やヒトの骨格形成機構の解明に寄与し、延いては骨関連の疾患の治療法開発の一助となる可能性がある