MiR-150 Affects Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Activity and Regulates MSC Osteogenic Differentiation

Abstract

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway promotes osteoblast differentiation. Bioinformatics analysis showed a targeting relationship between miR-150 and β-catenin 3′-UTR. This study investigated miR-150's role in β-catenin expression and osteoblast differentiation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ADMSCs). Differentiation of ADMSCs into osteoblasts was induced and the expression of miR-150, β-catenin, RUNX2 and OPN on the 0th, 9th and 18th day during differentiation was detected. The dual luciferase gene reporter assay validated the relationship between miR-150 and β-catenin. ADMSCs were divided into angomir-NC group and angomir-150 group, and then induced for differentiation for 18 days followed by measuring the level of miR-150, β-catenin, RUNX2 and OPN and the degree of osteoblast differentiation by alizarin red staining. Compared with Day 0, miR-150 expression was gradually decreased on 9th and 18th day of osteoblast differentiation, and the expression of β-catenin, RUNX2 and OPN was gradually increased. There was a targeted regulation relationship between miR-150 and β-catenin. Compared with angomir-NC group, miR-150 expression was significantly increased in angomir-150 transfection group with decreased expression of β-catenin, RUNX2 and OPN protein and reduced degree of alizarin red staining. miR-150 expression is decreased and β-catenin expression is increased during osteoblast differentiation of ADMSCs. Up-regulation of miR-150 expression attenuates the ability of ADMSCs to differentiate into osteoblasts by inhibiting β-catenin expression and Wnt/β-catenin pathway.