{
  "abstract": "CircRNAs are key regulators of gene expression. The functional roles of exonic versus exon–intron circRNAs in early breast cancer remain unclear. Connexin-43 (GJA1) generates exonic circRNA (ecircRNA) hsa_circ_0077755 (circ_755) and exon–intron circRNA (EIcircRNA), hsa_circ_0077753 (circ_753), both linked to increased breast cancer risk. We examined their structural, molecular, and phenotypic roles in transient and stable knockdown S1 breast epithelial cells, using RT-qPCR, dual-luciferase, lumen formation and invasion assays, and extracellular vesicle (EV) analysis. Knockdown of cytoplasm-enriched circ_755 reduced Connexin-43 transcript and protein, whereas knockdown of nuclear-enriched circ_753 preserved GJA1. Both induced lumen disruption, β-catenin disorganization, increased invasion, and regulated onco-miR-182. More pronounced miR-182 upregulation and broader repression of tumor-suppressive targets (BCL2, FOXO1, RECK) were observed in circ_753 knockdown cells, alongside concurrent depletion of hsa_circ_0008932 (circ_8932), which is predicted to interact with miR-182. Similar reciprocal changes in circRNA/miR-182 were observed in released EVs. These data highlight circRNA-miR-182 networks with distinct effects on tumor initiation and potential value as breast cancer biomarkers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon",
    "Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest, 49055 Angers, France",
    "Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon",
    "Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nour Maatouk"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Joséphine Briand"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jana Ismael"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Serena Andraos",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-1763-712X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Abdallah Kurdi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8321-4025"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sophie Lelièvre"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Rihab Nasr",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1166-4999"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rabih Talhouk",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1544-1736"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9x2vkc14xnyht.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/ijms27198849",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664854",
  "id": "9x2vkc14xnyht",
  "issns": [
    "1422-0067"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8849",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Circular RNAs in diseases"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220473392",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664854?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13664854",
  "pmid": "42884092",
  "published": "2026-10-03",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9x2vkc14xnyht.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:55Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/ijms27198849",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8849"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42884092",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42884092"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Circular RNAs in diseases",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Downregulation of GJA1-Derived circ_753 and circ_755 Differentially Modulates miR-182-5p Expression and Breast Cancer-Associated Phenotypes",
  "title_text": "Downregulation of GJA1-Derived circ_753 and circ_755 Differentially Modulates miR-182-5p Expression and Breast Cancer-Associated Phenotypes",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9x2vkc14xnyht",
  "venue": "International Journal of Molecular Sciences",
  "versions": []
}