Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

Circulating small RNA signatures differentiate accurately the subtypes of muscular dystrophies: small-RNA next-generation sequencing analytics and functional insights

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Grainne Gorman, Professor Hanns Lochmuller

Downloads


Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Muscular dystrophies are a group of rare and severe inherited disorders mainly affecting the muscle tissue. Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, Myotonic Dystrophy types 1 and 2, Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy and Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy are some of the members of this family of disorders. In addition to the current diagnostic tools, there is an increasing interest for the development of novel non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of these diseases. miRNAs are small RNA molecules characterized by high stability in blood thus making them ideal biomarker candidates for various diseases. In this study, we present the first genome-wide next-generation small RNA sequencing in serum samples of five different types of muscular dystrophy patients and healthy individuals. We identified many small RNAs including miRNAs, lncRNAs, tRNAs, snoRNAs and snRNAs, that differentially discriminate the muscular dystrophy patients from the healthy individuals. Further analysis of the identified miRNAs showed that some miRNAs can distinguish the muscular dystrophy patients from controls and other miRNAs are specific to the type of muscular dystrophy. Bioinformatics analysis of the target genes for the most significant miRNAs and the biological role of these genes revealed different pathways that the dysregulated miRNAs are involved in each type of muscular dystrophy investigated. In conclusion, this study shows unique signatures of small RNAs circulating in five types of muscular dystrophy patients and provides a useful resource for future studies for the development of miRNA biomarkers in muscular dystrophies and for their involvement in the pathogenesis of the disorders.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Kakouri AC, Koutalianos D, Koutsoulidou A, Oulas A, Tomazou M, Nikolenko N, Turner C, Roos A, Lusakowska A, Janiszewska K, Papadimas GK, Papadopoulos C, Kararizou E, Papanicolaou EZ, Gorman G, Lochmuller H, Spyrou GM, Phylactou LA

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: RNA Biology

Year: 2022

Volume: 19

Issue: 1

Pages: 507-518

Online publication date: 07/04/2022

Acceptance date: 23/03/2022

Date deposited: 19/04/2022

ISSN (print): 1547-6286

ISSN (electronic): 1555-8584

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2022.2058817

DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2058817

PubMed id: 35388741


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
669026
950-232279
A.G. Leventis Foundation
CFI-JELF 38412
European Regional Development Fund
FDN-167281
Research and Innovation Foundation

Share