Integrated Transcriptomic and Functional Analyses Identify an FSH-Regulated circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 Module in Chicken Granulosa Cells
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- 2Key Lab of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Abstract
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) supports granulosa cell survival during follicular development, but the RNA networks involved remain incompletely understood. To investigate these networks, we integrated whole-transcriptome profiling and functional assays in cultured granulosa cells from chicken prehierarchical follicles. Transcriptomic comparisons included control, FSH and FSH plus leptomycin B (LMB), a nuclear export inhibitor. Integrated analysis of these profiles identified a candidate circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 regulatory module. FSH increased circARHGAP21 and DEAF1 expression and decreased gga-miR-146a-5p abundance, whereas LMB opposed these changes in FSH-treated cells. Reporter assays showed that gga-miR-146a-5p suppressed reporter activity through the predicted sites in circARHGAP21 and the DEAF1 3′ untranslated region. Transfection with the oe-circARHGAP21 construct reduced apoptosis and increased follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) expression. Construct transfection also increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and decreased caspase-3 (CASP3) expression. Cotransfection with a gga-miR-146a-5p mimic attenuated these effects, whereas DEAF1 overexpression produced changes similar to those observed after oe-circARHGAP21 construct transfection. Compared with the oe-circARHGAP21 construct group, the corresponding LMB-treated group showed lower DEAF1, FSHR and PCNA expression and higher CASP3 expression and apoptosis. Together, these findings identify an FSH-responsive circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 module associated with granulosa cell survival and follicle-selection-related gene expression.
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BibTeX
@article{ou2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated Transcriptomic and Functional Analyses Identify an FSH-Regulated circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 Module in Chicken Granulosa Cells}},
author = {Yu Ou and Pucheng Wu and Bingkun Xu and Sheng Wang and Shengxiao Cao and Yuhan Sun and Zixin Zhang and Jinshuo Song and Xue Sun and Ning Qin and Rifu Xu},
journal = {Cells},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/cells15211939},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/21/1939},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated Transcriptomic and Functional Analyses Identify an FSH-Regulated circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 Module in Chicken Granulosa Cells
AU - Yu Ou
AU - Pucheng Wu
AU - Bingkun Xu
AU - Sheng Wang
AU - Shengxiao Cao
AU - Yuhan Sun
AU - Zixin Zhang
AU - Jinshuo Song
AU - Xue Sun
AU - Ning Qin
AU - Rifu Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Cells
DO - 10.3390/cells15211939
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/21/1939
AB - Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) supports granulosa cell survival during follicular development, but the RNA networks involved remain incompletely understood. To investigate these networks, we integrated whole-transcriptome profiling and functional assays in cultured granulosa cells from chicken prehierarchical follicles. Transcriptomic comparisons included control, FSH and FSH plus leptomycin B (LMB), a nuclear export inhibitor. Integrated analysis of these profiles identified a candidate circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 regulatory module. FSH increased circARHGAP21 and DEAF1 expression and decreased gga-miR-146a-5p abundance, whereas LMB opposed these changes in FSH-treated cells. Reporter assays showed that gga-miR-146a-5p suppressed reporter activity through the predicted sites in circARHGAP21 and the DEAF1 3′ untranslated region. Transfection with the oe-circARHGAP21 construct reduced apoptosis and increased follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) expression. Construct transfection also increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and decreased caspase-3 (CASP3) expression. Cotransfection with a gga-miR-146a-5p mimic attenuated these effects, whereas DEAF1 overexpression produced changes similar to those observed after oe-circARHGAP21 construct transfection. Compared with the oe-circARHGAP21 construct group, the corresponding LMB-treated group showed lower DEAF1, FSHR and PCNA expression and higher CASP3 expression and apoptosis. Together, these findings identify an FSH-responsive circARHGAP21/gga-miR-146a-5p/DEAF1 module associated with granulosa cell survival and follicle-selection-related gene expression.
SN - 2073-4409
ER -