No abstract

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators of crucial cellular processes. However, the molecular mechanisms of many lncRNA functions remain uncharacterized. Sox2ot is an evolutionarily conserved lncRNA that transcriptionally overlaps the pluripotency gene Sox2, which maintains the stemness of embryonic stem cells and tissue-specific stem cells. Here, we show that Sox2ot is expressed in the developing mouse cerebral cortex, where it represses neural progenitor (NP) proliferation and promotes neuronal differentiation. Sox2ot negatively regulates self-renewal of neural stem cells, and is predominately expressed in the nucleus and inhibits Sox2 levels. Sox2ot forms a physical interaction with a multifunctional transcriptional regulator YY1, which binds several CpG islands in the Sox2 locus in a Sox2ot-dependent manner. Similar to Sox2ot, YY1 represses NP expansion in vivo. These results demonstrate a regulatory role of Sox2ot in promoting cortical neurogenesis, possibly by repressing Sox2 expression in NPs, through interacting with YY1.

Despite accumulating evidence of the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture, its mechanism remains largely unclear. We assume that molecular signaling around the acupuncture needled area is essential for initiating the effect of acupuncture. To determine possible bio-candidates involved in the mechanisms of acupuncture and investigate the role of such bio-candidates in the analgesic effects of acupuncture, we conducted 2 stepwise experiments. First, a genome-wide microarray of the isolated skin layer at the GB34-equivalent acupoint of C57BL/6 mice 1 hour after acupuncture found that a total of 236 genes had changed and that extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) activation was the most prominent bio-candidate. Second, in mouse pain models using formalin and complete Freund adjuvant, we found that acupuncture attenuated the nociceptive behavior and the mechanical allodynia; these effects were blocked when ERK cascade was interrupted by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor U0126 (.8 μg/μL). Based on these results, we suggest that ERK phosphorylation following acupuncture needling is a biochemical hallmark initiating the effect of acupuncture including analgesia. Perspective This article presents the novel evidence of the local molecular signaling in acupuncture analgesia by demonstrating that ERK activation in the skin layer contributes to the analgesic effect of acupuncture in a mouse pain model. This work improves our understanding of the scientific basis underlying acupuncture analgesia.