WTAP-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification of circ_PVT1 promotes proliferation and tenogenic differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells

Figure 5 WTAP-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification of circular RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 regulated tendon stem/progenitor cell differentiation. A and B: The knockdown and overexpression efficiency of shNC, shRNAs, vector, and overexpression of circular RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (circ_PVT1) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs); C: Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation polymerase chain reaction assay shows the N6-methyladenosine modification level of TGF-β1-induced TSPCs in circ_PVT1 of the shWTAP and WTAP-overexpression (OE) groups; D-J: Normal TSPCs and TGF-β1-induced TSPCs were transfected with shNC, sh-circ_PVT1, or co-transfected with sh-circ_PVT1 + WTAP-OE. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was performed to detect cell proliferation (D). A Transwell assay was performed for TSPC migration analysis (E and F). Western blot analysis was performed to detect the levels of scleraxis, tenomodulin, and COL3 (G and H). Apoptosis in the TSPCs was detected and analyzed (I and J). All data are presented as the mean ± SD. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001. SCX: Scleraxis; TNMD: Tenomodulin; NS: No significance; NC: Negative control; TGF-β1: Transforming growth factor-β1; circ_PVT1: Circular RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1.