Identification and Characterization of N6-Methyladenosine LncRNAs in Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common internal RNA modification in mammalian cells. Lots of previous studies have shown that m6A is strongly linked to the occurrence and development of diseases. However, studies on the role of m6A modifications in atherosclerosis are limited and the possible mechanism needs to be elucidated. In this study, we used MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq to obtain a genome-wide profiling of m6A-modified lncRNAs in the model of coronary atherosclerosis. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the reliability of the data. Functional enrichment analysis uncovered that the associated genes of lncRNAs with different m6A levels were mostly enriched in the regulation of many crucial cell biological processes, including cytoskeletal rearrangement, cell cycle, and Rap1 signaling pathway which can affect the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In summary, our study provided an expressed profile of lncRNA m6A in Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells(HCASMCs), and we can infer that the methylation state of lncRNA may be essential for their function and offer a new direction for the treatment ofcoronary artery disease(CAD).