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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Genet.
Sec. RNA
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1533637

Noncoding RNA profiling in omentum adipose tissue from obese patients and the identification of novel metabolic biomarkers

Provisionally accepted
Yongjiao Zhang Yongjiao Zhang 1,2*Ao Chen Ao Chen 1,2*Dong Liu Dong Liu 2*Xiaolei Xuan Xiaolei Xuan 2*Mingwei Zhong Mingwei Zhong 2*Fei Gao Fei Gao 2*Sumei Lu Sumei Lu 2*
  • 1 Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, China
  • 2 Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background. Obesity, a prevalent metabolic disorder, is linked to perturbations in the balance of gene expression regulation. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs), play pivotal roles in regulating gene expression. The aim of this study was to identify additional ncRNA candidates that are implicated in obesity, elucidating their potential as key regulators of the pathogenesis of obesity.Methods. We identified distinct ncRNA expression profiles in omental adipose tissue in obese and healthy subjects through comprehensive whole-transcriptome sequencing. Subsequent analyses included functional annotation with GO and KEGG pathway mapping, validation via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), the exploration of proteinprotein interactions (PPIs), and the identification of key regulatory genes through network analysis.Results. The results indicated that, compared with those in healthy individuals, various lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in obese subjects. Further verifications of top changed gene expressions proved the most genes' consistence with RNA-sequencing including 11 lncRNAs and 4 circRNAs. Gene network analysis highlighted the most significant features associated with metabolic pathways, specifically ENST00000605862, ENST00000558885, and ENST00000686149. Collectively, our findings suggest potential ncRNA therapeutic targets for obesity, including ENST00000605862, ENST00000558885, and ENST00000686149.

    Keywords: Obesity, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), Noncoding RNA (ncRNA), omental adipose tissue, lncRNA

    Received: 03 Dec 2024; Accepted: 15 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Chen, Liu, Xuan, Zhong, Gao and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yongjiao Zhang, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, China
    Ao Chen, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, China
    Dong Liu, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
    Xiaolei Xuan, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
    Mingwei Zhong, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
    Fei Gao, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
    Sumei Lu, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.