Background
Granulosa cell proliferation and survival are essential for normal ovarian function and follicular development. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of cell proliferation and differentiation. Nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) has been implicated in various cellular processes, but its role in granulosa cell function remains unclear.
Conclusion
LncRNA NEAT1 could promote ovarian granulosa cell proliferation and cell cycle progression via the miR-29a-3p/IGF1 axis in polycystic ovary syndrome. Further investigation of this mechanism in clinical samples may have implications for understanding ovarian physiology and pathology.
Methods
We investigated the function of lncRNA NEAT1 in human ovarian granulosa-like tumor cells (KGN). The effects of NEAT1 overexpression or silencing on cell proliferation and cell cycle were evaluated using CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry. The interaction between NEAT1, miR-29a-3p, and IGF1 was examined using dual-luciferase reporter assays, qRT-PCR, and Western blot analysis.
Results
NEAT1 promoted granulosa cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by indirectly upregulated IGF1 expression through acting as a molecular sponge for miR-29a-3p. Cell proliferation and G2/M phase proportions were increased by overexpression of NEAT1, whereas cell proliferation and G2/M phase proportions decreased with NEAT1 silencing. The effects of NEAT1 on cell proliferation and cell cycle-related proteins (CCNB1 and CDK2) were partially reversed by miR-29a-3p mimic, while miR-29a-3p inhibitor rescued the effects of NEAT1 silencing.