Non-Coding RNAs in Cartilage Development: An Updated Review

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 18; p. 4475
• Main Authors: Razmara, Ehsan, Bitaraf, Amirreza, Yousefi, Hassan, Nguyen, Tina H, Garshasbi, Masoud, Cho, William Chi-Shing, Babashah, Sadegh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11.09.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Bones; Cartilage; Cartilage - growth & development; Cartilage - metabolism; cartilage development; Chondrocytes; Chondrocytes - cytology; Chondrocytes - metabolism; Chondrogenesis; Collagen; Defects; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factor receptors; Epigenesis, Genetic; Epigenetics; Extracellular matrix; Fibroblast growth factors; Gene expression; Genotype & phenotype; Growth factors; Growth plate; Growth Plate - metabolism; Homeostasis; Humans; Kinases; lncRNAs; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; Non-coding RNA; non-coding RNAs; Parathyroid; Parathyroid hormone; Parathyroid hormone-related protein; Proteins; Regulators; Review; RNA, Untranslated - genetics; RNA, Untranslated - metabolism; Roles; Signal transduction; Transcription; Transcription factors; Wnt protein; β-Catenin; lncRNAs; microRNAs; chondrogenesis; non-coding RNAs; cartilage development
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184475

In the development of the skeleton, the long bones are arising from the process of endochondral ossification (EO) in which cartilage is replaced by bone. This complex process is regulated by various factors including genetic, epigenetic, and environmental elements. It is recognized that DNA methylation, higher-order chromatin structure, and post-translational modifications of histones regulate the EO. With emerging understanding, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been identified as another mode of EO regulation, which is consist of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). There is expanding experimental evidence to unlock the role of ncRNAs in the differentiation of cartilage cells, as well as the pathogenesis of several skeletal disorders including osteoarthritis. Cutting-edge technologies such as epigenome-wide association studies have been employed to reveal disease-specific patterns regarding ncRNAs. This opens a new avenue of our understanding of skeletal cell biology, and may also identify potential epigenetic-based biomarkers. In this review, we provide an updated overview of recent advances in the role of ncRNAs especially focus on miRNA and lncRNA in the development of bone from cartilage, as well as their roles in skeletal pathophysiology.