scholarly journals Small Non-Coding RNAome of Ageing Chondrocytes

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5675
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Balaskas ◽  
Jonathan A. Green ◽  
Tariq M. Haqqi ◽  
Philip Dyer ◽  
Yalda A. Kharaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Cartilage Tissue ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Human Cartilage ◽  
Fragment Analysis ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Age Related

Ageing is a leading risk factor predisposing cartilage to osteoarthritis. However, little research has been conducted on the effect of ageing on the expression of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs). RNA from young and old chondrocytes from macroscopically normal equine metacarpophalangeal joints was extracted and subjected to small RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Differential expression analysis was performed in R using package DESeq2. For transfer RNA (tRNA) fragment analysis, tRNA reads were aligned to horse tRNA sequences using Bowtie2 version 2.2.5. Selected microRNA (miRNAs or miRs) and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) findings were validated using real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) in an extended cohort of equine chondrocytes. tRNA fragments were further investigated in low- and high-grade OA human cartilage tissue. In total, 83 sncRNAs were differentially expressed between young and old equine chondrocytes, including miRNAs, snoRNAs, small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), and tRNAs. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed findings. tRNA fragment analysis revealed that tRNA halves (tiRNAs), tiRNA-5035-GluCTC and tiRNA-5031-GluCTC-1 were reduced in both high grade OA human cartilage and old equine chondrocytes. For the first time, we have measured the effect of ageing on the expression of sncRNAs in equine chondrocytes. Changes were detected in a number of different sncRNA species. This study supports a role for sncRNAs in ageing cartilage and their potential involvement in age-related cartilage diseases.

scholarly journals Small Non-coding RNAome of ageing chondrocytes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Balaskas ◽  
Jonathan A. Green ◽  
Tariq M. Haqqi ◽  
Philip Dyer ◽  
Yalda A. Kharaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Small Rna ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Cartilage Tissue ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
High Grade ◽  
Human Cartilage ◽  
Fragment Analysis ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

ABSTRACTBackgroundAgeing is one of the leading risk factors predisposing cartilage to musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoarthritis. Cumulative evidence suggests that small non-coding RNAs play a role in cartilage-related pathological changes. However, little research has been conducted on the effect of ageing on the expression of small non-coding RNAs in cartilage. By using small RNA sequencing, we investigated changes in the expression of small non-coding RNAs between young and old equine chondrocytes.MethodsChondrocytes were extracted from five young (4±1 years) and five old (17.4±1.9 years) macroscopically normal equine metacarpophalangeal joints. Following RNA extraction cDNA libraries were prepared and subjected to small RNA sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Differential expression analysis was performed in R using package DESeq2. For tRNA fragment analysis, tRNA reads were aligned to horse tRNA sequences using Bowtie2 version 2.2.5. Selected microRNA and small nucleolar RNA findings were validated using qRT-PCR in an extended cohort of equine chondrocytes. tRNA fragments were further investigated in low and high grade OA human cartilage tissue.ResultsIn total, 83 sncRNAs were differentially expressed between young and old equine chondrocytes, including microRNAs, snoRNAs, snRNAs and tRNAs. Of these, 34 were expressed higher and 49 were expressed lower in old chondrocytes compared to young. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed findings in an extended cohort of equine chondrocytes. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of differentially expressed microRNAs and their predicted target genes linked them to cartilage and OA-related pathways and diseases. tRNA fragment analysis revealed that tiRNA-5035-GluCTC and tiRNA-5031-GluCTC-1 were reduced in both high grade OA human cartilage and old equine chondrocytes.ConclusionFor the first time, we have measured the effect of ageing on the expression of small non-coding RNAs in equine chondrocytes. Changes were detected in a number of different sncRNA species, including microRNAs, small nucleolar RNAs and tRNA fragments. This study supports a role for small non-coding RNAs in ageing cartilage and their potential involvement in age-related cartilage diseases.

scholarly journals Identification of miRNAs and Their Response to Cold Stress in Astragalus Membranaceus

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merhaba Abla ◽  
Huigai Sun ◽  
Zhuyun Li ◽  
Chunxiang Wei ◽  
Fei Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cold Stress ◽  
Redox Homeostasis ◽  
Astragalus Membranaceus ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Gene Regulation Network ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Regulation Network

Astragalus membranaceus is an important medicinal plant widely cultivated in East Asia. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous regulatory molecules that play essential roles in plant growth, development, and the response to environmental stresses. Cold is one of the key environmental factors affecting the yield and quality of A. membranaceus, and miRNAs may mediate the gene regulation network under cold stress in A. membranaceus. To identify miRNAs and reveal their functions in cold stress response in A. membranaceus, small RNA sequencing was conducted followed by bioinformatics analysis, and quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to profile the expression of miRNAs under cold stress. A total of 168 conserved miRNAs belonging to 34 families and 14 putative non-conserved miRNAs were identified. Many miRNA targets were predicted and these targets were involved in diversified regulatory and metabolic pathways. By using qRT-PCR, 27 miRNAs were found to be responsive to cold stress, including 4 cold stress-induced and 17 cold-repressed conserved miRNAs, and 6 cold-induced non-conserved miRNAs. These cold-responsive miRNAs probably mediate the response to cold stress by regulating development, hormone signaling, defense, redox homeostasis, and secondary metabolism in A. membranaceus. These cold-corresponsive miRNAs may be used as the candidate genes in further molecular breeding for improving cold tolerance of A. membranaceus.

scholarly journals Transcriptomic Analysis of Dark-Induced Senescence in Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 614
Author(s):  
Jibiao Fan ◽  
Yanhong Lou ◽  
Haiyan Shi ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Liwen Cao
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Senescence ◽  
Plant Hormone ◽  
Bioinformatics Analysis ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Aesthetic Quality ◽  
Qrt Pcr

Leaf senescence induced by prolonged light deficiency is inevitable whenever turfgrass is cultivated in forests, and this negatively influences the survival and aesthetic quality of the turfgrass. However, the mechanism underlying dark-induced senescence in turfgrass remained obscure. In this study, RNA sequencing was performed to analyze how genes were regulated in response to dark-induced leaf senescence in bermudagrass. A total of 159,207 unigenes were obtained with a mean length of 948 bp. The differential expression analysis showed that a total of 59,062 genes, including 52,382 up-regulated genes and 6680 down-regulated genes were found to be differentially expressed between control leaves and senescent leaves induced by darkness. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly related to plant hormone (ethylene, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, and brassinosteroid) signal transduction, N-glycan biosynthesis, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, transcription factors, such as WRKY, NAC, HSF, and bHLH families were also responsive to dark-induced leaf senescence in bermudagrass. Finally, qRT-PCR analysis of six randomly selected DEGs validated the accuracy of sequencing results. Taken together, our results provide basic information of how genes respond to darkness, and contribute to the understanding of comprehensive mechanisms of dark-induced leaf senescence in turfgrass.

scholarly journals Integrated metabolome and transcriptome revealed the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in developing Vernonia amygdalina leaves

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11239
Author(s):  
Lanya Shui ◽  
Kaisen Huo ◽  
Yan Chen ◽  
Zilin Zhang ◽  
Yanfang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Illumina Sequencing ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Flavonoid Biosynthesis ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Vernonia Amygdalina ◽  
Gene Expressions ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Background Vernonia amygdalina as a tropical horticultural crop has been widely used for medicinal herb, feed, and vegetable. Recently, increasing studies revealed that this species possesses multiple pharmacological properties. Notably, V. amygdalina leaves possess an abundance of flavonoids, but the specific profiles of flavonoids and the mechanisms of fl avonoid bi osynthesis in developing leaves are largely unknown. Methods The total flavonoids of V. amygdalina leaves were detected using ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The temporal flavonoid profiles of V. amygdalina leaves were analyzed by LC-MS. The transcriptome analysis of V. amygdalina leaves was performed by Illumina sequencing. Functional annotation and differential expression analysis of V. amygdalina genes were performed by Blast2GO v2.3.5 and RSEM v1.2.31, respectively. qRT-PCR analysis was used to verify the gene expressions in developing V. amygdalina leaves. Results By LC-MS analysis, three substrates (p-coumaric acid, trans-cinnamic acid, and phenylalanine) for flavonoid biosynthesis were identified in V. amygdalina leaves. Additionally, 42 flavonoids were identified from V. amygdalina leaves, including six dihydroflavones, 14 flavones, eight isoflavones, nine flavonols, two xanthones, one chalcone, one cyanidin, and one dihydroflavonol. Glycosylation and methylation were common at the hydroxy group of C3, C7, and C4’ positions. Moreover, dynamic patterns of different flavonoids showed diversity. By Illumina sequencing, the obtained over 200 million valid reads were assembled into 60,422 genes. Blast analysis indicated that 31,872 genes were annotated at least in one of public databases. Greatly increasing molecular resources makes up for the lack of gene information in V. amygdalina. By digital expression profiling and qRT-PCR, we specifically characterized some key enzymes, such as Va-PAL1, Va-PAL4, Va-C4H1, Va-4CL3, Va-ACC1, Va-CHS1, Va-CHI, Va-FNSII, and Va-IFS3, involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. Importantly, integrated metabolome and transcriptome data of V. amygdalina leaves, we systematically constructed a flavonoid biosynthetic pathway with regards to material supplying, flavonoid scaffold biosynthesis, and flavonoid modifications. Our findings contribute significantly to understand the underlying mechanisms of flavonoid biosynthesis in V. amygdalina leaves, and also provide valuable information for potential metabolic engineering.

scholarly journals Elucidating mechano-pathology of osteoarthritis: transcriptome-wide differences in mechanically stressed aged human cartilage explants

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Houtman ◽  
Margo Tuerlings ◽  
Janne Riechelman ◽  
Eka H. E. D. Suchiman ◽  
Robert J. P. van der Wal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Mechanical Stress ◽  
Cellular Senescence ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Cartilage Explants ◽  
Human Articular Cartilage ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Human Cartilage ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Background Failing of intrinsic chondrocyte repair after mechanical stress is known as one of the most important initiators of osteoarthritis. Nonetheless, insight into these early mechano-pathophysiological processes in age-related human articular cartilage is still lacking. Such insights are needed to advance clinical development. To highlight important molecular processes of osteoarthritis mechano-pathology, the transcriptome-wide changes following injurious mechanical stress on human aged osteochondral explants were characterized. Methods Following mechanical stress at a strain of 65% (65%MS) on human osteochondral explants (n65%MS = 14 versus ncontrol = 14), RNA sequencing was performed. Differential expression analysis between control and 65%MS was performed to determine mechanical stress-specific changes. Enrichment for pathways and protein-protein interactions was analyzed with Enrichr and STRING. Results We identified 156 genes significantly differentially expressed between control and 65%MS human osteochondral explants. Of note, IGFBP5 (FC = 6.01; FDR = 7.81 × 10−3) and MMP13 (FC = 5.19; FDR = 4.84 × 10−2) were the highest upregulated genes, while IGFBP6 (FC = 0.19; FDR = 3.07 × 10−4) was the most downregulated gene. Protein-protein interactions were significantly higher than expected by chance (P = 1.44 × 10−15 with connections between 116 out of 156 genes). Pathway analysis showed, among others, enrichment for cellular senescence, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I and II binding, and focal adhesion. Conclusions Our results faithfully represent transcriptomic wide consequences of mechanical stress in human aged articular cartilage with MMP13, IGF binding proteins, and cellular senescence as the most notable results. Acquired knowledge on the as such identified initial, osteoarthritis-related, detrimental responses of chondrocytes may eventually contribute to the development of effective disease-modifying osteoarthritis treatments.

scholarly journals Transcriptomic analysis reveals key transcription factors associated to drought tolerance in a wild papaya (Carica papaya) genotype

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245855
Author(s):  
Humberto Estrella-Maldonado ◽  
Amaranta Girón Ramírez ◽  
Gabriela Fuentes Ortiz ◽  
Santy Peraza-Echeverría ◽  
Octavio Martínez-de la Vega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Carica Papaya ◽  
Differential Expression Analysis ◽  
Transcriptomic Analysis ◽  
Cdna Libraries ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Water Deficit Stress ◽  
Wild Genotype ◽  
Qrt Pcr

Most of the commercial papaya genotypes show susceptibility to water deficit stress and require high volumes of irrigation water to yield properly. To tackle this problem, we have collected wild native genotypes of Carica papaya that have proved to show better physiological performance under water deficit stress than the commercial cultivar grown in Mexico. In the present study, plants from a wild Carica papaya genotype and a commercial genotype were subjected to water deficit stress (WDS), and their response was characterized in physiological and molecular terms. The physiological parameters measured (water potential, photosynthesis, Fv/Fm and electrolyte leakage) confirmed that the papaya wild genotype showed better physiological responses than the commercial one when exposed to WDS. Subsequently, RNA-Seq was performed for 4 cDNA libraries in both genotypes (susceptible and tolerant) under well-watered conditions, and when they were subjected to WDS for 14 days. Consistently, differential expression analysis revealed that after 14 days of WDS, the wild tolerant genotype had a higher number of up-regulated genes, and a higher number of transcription factors (TF) that were differentially expressed in response to WDS, than the commercial genotype. Thus, six TF genes (CpHSF, CpMYB, CpNAC, CpNFY-A, CpERF and CpWRKY) were selected for further qRT-PCR analysis as they were highly expressed in response to WDS in the wild papaya genotype. qRT-PCR results confirmed that the wild genotype had higher expression levels (REL) in all 6 TF genes than the commercial genotype. Our transcriptomic analysis should help to unravel candidate genes that may be useful in the development of new drought-tolerant cultivars of this important tropical crop.

Screening for differentially expressed circRNA between Kashin–Beck disease and osteoarthritis patients based on circRNA chips

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Cuiyan Wu ◽  
Yanan Zhang ◽  
Yimin Yang ◽  
Zhiwei Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Joint Disease ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Mirna Regulation ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Potential Biomarker

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this research was to explore differentially expressed circRNA between OA and KBD and the potential differential diagnosis biomarkers.Methods: Total RNA was extracted from 5 pairs of KBD and OA knee joint cartilage specimens, and the expression of circRNAs was analyzed by Chip Scanning Analysis. The microarray data was verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway were used to predict the functions of the differentially expressed circRNAs. A circRNA-miRNA network was constructed to predict targeting microRNAs of differentially expressed circRNA genes. On the basis of microarray, we expanded the sample size, peripheral blood samples from 25 KBD patients and 25 OA patients (five pairs of patients for chondrocyte microarray study included) were collected and qRT-PCR was performed for hsa_circRNA_0020014 verification. Diagnostic value was evaluated by the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve.Results: A total of 1627 circRNAs were differentially expressed between OA and KBD (P<0.05; 0.5<fold change>2), 1328 were up-regulated and 299 were down-regulated among them. Five differentially expressed genes associated with bone and joint disease were chosen for further qRT-PCR validation. After obtaining the parental genes of them, functional annotations were performed on the top ten enrichment GO items and KEGG pathways. The difference in expression profile of hsa_circRNA_0020014 was confirmed by qRT-PCR at articular cartilage level, and its circRNA-miRNA regulation network was set up. The ROC curve demonstrated that hsa_circ_0020014_CBC1 in peripheral blood could distinguish patients with KBD and OA (area under the curve: 0.6415, P< 0.01). The hsa_circ_0020014_CBC1 may be a potential biomarker for differential diagnosis between KBD and OA patientsConclusion: Our results suggested that the expression profiles of circRNA were significantly different between OA and KBD. hsa_circRNA_0020014 is a potential biomarker for the differential diagnosis between these two diseases.

miR-18a-3p Encourages Apoptosis of Chondrocyte in Osteoarthritis via HOXA1 Pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 328-341
Author(s):  
Baiyang Ding ◽  
Shujuan Xu ◽  
Xiumin Sun ◽  
Jianming Gao ◽  
Wenlei Nie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Articular Cartilage ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Tunel Assay ◽  
Luciferase Assay ◽  
Cartilage Tissue ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Flow Cytometry Analysis ◽  
Human Cartilage ◽  
Over Expression

Background: Osteoarthritis is a disorder of joints featuring inflammation and degeneration of articular cartilage. Recently, miRs have been found to be associated in the regulation of chondrocytes and their apoptosis. miR-18a-3p has been found to be associated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, however, its role in articular cartilage tissues remains unclear. Methods: C57BL/6 strain of mice and human cartilage tissue were used for the study. Histological analysis was done on isolated cartilage samples followed by TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical analysis. The chondrocytes were isolated from mouse and human cartilage tissues, RNA was isolated and subjected for qRT-PCR analysis. The chondrocytes were transfected with miR-18a-3p agomir, antagomir and siHOXA-1. Luciferase assay was done in 293T cells. Flow cytometry analysis was done and western blot analysis for studying the expression of proteins. Results: The expression of miR-18a-3p was upregulated in chondrocytes after exposing them to interlukin- 1β (IL-1β) in vitro. The transfection of miR-18a-3p antagomir halted the IL-1β mediated apoptosis. The luciferase assay suggested that miR-18a-3p targets the 3’UTR region of HOXA1 gene thus blocking its expression. The treatment of HOXA1 siRNA demonstrated the rescuing effect of miR- 18a-3p antagomir on the apoptosis of chondrocytes. Treatment of miR-18a-3p antagomir attenuated the surface of cartilage in osteoarthritis mice and the agomir worsened it. TUNEL assay suggested decreased apoptosis and over-expression of HOAX1 in osteoarthritis mice post miR-18a-3p knockdown. Conclusion: The findings confirmed the involvement of miR-18a-3p/HOXA1 pathway as a potential mechanism in the regulation of Osteoarthritis.

scholarly journals ITRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of Fusarium moniliforme (Fusarium verticillioides) in response to Phloridzin inducers

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Zhang ◽  
Weitao Jiang ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
Yanan Duan ◽  
Li Xiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Moniliforme ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Fusarium Verticillioides ◽  
Protein Profile ◽  
Sugar Metabolism ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed Proteins ◽  
Apple Replant Disease ◽  
Qrt Pcr

Abstract Background Apple replant disease (ARD) has been reported from all major fruit-growing regions of the world, and is often caused by biotic factors (pathogen fungi) and abiotic factors (phenolic compounds). In order to clarify the proteomic differences of Fusarium moniliforme under the action of phloridzin, and to explore the potential mechanism of F. moniliforme as the pathogen of ARD, the role of Fusarium spp. in ARD was further clarified. Methods In this paper, the quantitative proteomics method iTRAQ analysis technology was used to analyze the proteomic differences of F. moniliforme before and after phloridzin treatment. The differentially expressed protein was validated by qRT-PCR analysis. Results A total of 4535 proteins were detected, and 293 proteins were found with more than 1.2 times (P< 0.05) differences. In-depth data analysis revealed that 59 proteins were found with more than 1.5 times (P< 0.05) differences, and most proteins were consistent with the result of qRT-PCR. Differentially expressed proteins were influenced a variety of cellular processes, particularly metabolic processes. Among these metabolic pathways, a total of 8 significantly enriched KEGG pathways were identified with at least 2 affiliated proteins with different abundance in conidia and mycelium. Functional pathway analysis indicated that up-regulated proteins were mainly distributed in amino sugar, nucleotide sugar metabolism, glycolysis/ gluconeogenesis and phagosome pathways. Conclusions This study is the first to perform quantitative proteomic investigation by iTRAQ labeling and LC-MS/MS to identify differentially expressed proteins in F. moniliforme under phloridzin conditions. The results confirmed that F. moniliforme presented a unique protein profile that indicated the adaptive mechanisms of this species to phloridzin environments. The results deepened our understanding of the proteome in F. moniliforme in response to phloridzin inducers and provide a basis for further exploration for improving the efficiency of the fungi as biocontrol agents to control ARD.

Small RNA Sequencing to Discover Circulating MicroRNA Biomarkers of Testicular Toxicity in Dogs

2020 ◽  
pp. 109158182096151
Author(s):  
Jennifer C. Shing ◽  
Kai Schaefer ◽  
Shaun E. Grosskurth ◽  
Andy H. Vo ◽  
Tatiana Sharapova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Small Rna ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
Circulating Microrna ◽  
Testicular Toxicity ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Organ Systems

Predictive indicators of testicular toxicity could improve drug development by allowing early in-life screening for this adverse effect before it becomes severe. We hypothesized that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) could serve as testicular toxicity biomarkers in dogs. Herein, we describe the results of an exploratory study conducted to discover biomarkers of drug-induced testicular injury. Following a dose-selection study using the testicular toxicant ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), we chose a dose of 50 mg/kg/d EGME to avoid systemic toxicity and treated 2 groups of dogs (castrated, non-castrated) for 14 to 28 days. Castrated animals were used as negative controls to identify biomarkers specific for testicular toxicity because EGME can cause toxicity to organ systems in addition to the testis. Blood was collected daily during the dosing period, followed by recovery for 29 to 43 days with less frequent sampling. Dosing was well tolerated, resulting in mild-to-moderate degeneration in testes and epididymides. Global profiling of serum miRNAs at selected dosing and recovery time points was completed by small RNA sequencing. Bioinformatics data analysis using linear modeling demonstrated several circulating miRNAs that were differentially abundant during the dosing period compared with baseline and/or castrated control samples. Confirmatory reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction data in these animals was unable to detect sustained alterations of miRNAs in serum, except for 1 potential candidate cfa-miR-146b. Taken together, we report the results of a comprehensive exploratory study and suggest future directions for follow-up research to address the challenge of developing diagnostic biomarkers of testicular toxicity.

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