Objective: Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) serve as the regulatory center for hair follicle (HF) development, and their proliferation is critical in HF growth studies. Research has shown that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) can be involved in the regulation of the HF growth cycle. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which lncRNA regulates HF formation. Methods: This study identified the differentially expressed lncRNA-lncBMP4 in skin tissues of Hu sheep with different patterns based on previous RNA sequencing results. The lncBMP4 was characterized through nuclear-cytoplasmic localization and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments. Its effect on DPCs proliferation was validated using RT-qPCR, CCK-8, and EdU assays. Subsequently, this study further investigated the regulatory role of lncBMP4 on the BMP4 through Dual Luciferase Assay and RNA immunoprecipitation experiment. Results: This study found that lncBMP4 is primarily localized in the cell nucleus and can inhibit the proliferation of Hu sheep DPCs. It exerts its effect by mediating the activity of the BMP4 promoter, thereby influencing BMP4 expression and consequently affecting the proliferation of Hu sheep DPCs. Conclusion: The aim is to elucidate the role and molecular mechanism of lncBMP4 in the pattern formation of Hu sheep.
Zhou et al. (Mon,) studied this question.