Abstract
Purpose :
The role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ocular angiogenesis is largely unknown. The purpose of the project is to identify human endothelial cell (EC)-specific lncRNAs and test their involvement in ocular angiogenesis.
Methods :
lncRNA profiling using ocular EC lines and non EC lines was performed to identify EC-specific lncRNAs. Quantitative RT-PCR and and bioinformatics analysis were used to confirm the microarray results, and test their involvement in angiogenesis. Various angiogenesis assays, including Matrigel assays and EC-fibroblast co-culture assays were used to study the candidate lncRNAs in angiogenesis.
Results :
We identified ~500 lncRNAs that are enriched more than 2 folds in primary endothelial cells (ECs) compared to non-EC cells. A list of the lncRNAs show a correlated expression profile with nearby coding mRNAs that are implicated in vascular development by functional enrichment analysis. For many of them, the EC-specific expression is more robust than their neighboring genes. To study the function of lncRNAs in ECs, we focused on one novel lncRNA, named as lnc-angio1, which is enriched in highly vascularized human tissues, including lung, placenta and heart. Silencing of lncAngio1 represses EC proliferation and migration, and impairs vascular tube formation in both Matrigel and EC/fibroblast co-culture angiogenesis assays.
Conclusions :
Our study established the lncRNA expression profile in ocular ECs and identified lncAngio1 as an EC-enriched lncRNA that is critical for angiogenesis.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.