Roles of circular RNAs in regulating the self-renewal and differentiation of adult stem cells

Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) and have attracted widespread research attention in recent years. They form a covalently closed loop structure and are widely distributed in tissues and organs. CircRNAs have also been found to regulate a variety of biological processes by functioning as microRNA sponges, transcriptional regulators, and protein binding partners. Recent sequencing results have shown that specific circRNA expression patterns are significantly associated with adult stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, indicating that the differential expression of circRNA affects whether adult stem cells initiate the differentiation process. By studying circRNA expression during adult stem cell differentiation into different lineages, such as the osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic, neurogenic, and cardiac lineages, it can be understood that circRNAs are a potential factor regulating adult stem cell differentiation. Herein, we summarize the general characteristics and functional mechanisms of circRNAs and further examine their roles in adult stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.