LncRNA TNXA-PS1 modulates Schwann cells by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA following nerve injury

Abstract

As the major glia in PNS, Schwann cells play a critical role in peripheral nerve injury repair. Finding an efficient approach to promote Schwann cell activation might facilitate peripheral nerve repair. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to regulate gene expression and take part in many biological processes. However, the role of lncRNAs in peripheral nerve regeneration is not fully understood. In this study, we obtained a global lncRNA portrayal following sciatic nerve injury in male rats using microarray and further investigated one of these dys-regulated lncRNAs, TNXA-PS1, confirming its vital role in regulating Schwann cells. Silencing TNAX-PS1 could promote Schwann cell migration and mechanism analyses showed that TNXA-PS1 might exert its regulatory role by sponging miR-24–3p/miR-152–3p and affecting dual specificity phosphatase 1 (Dusp1) expression. Systematic lncRNA expression profiling of sciatic nerve segments following nerve injury in rats suggested lncRNA TNXA-PS1 as a key regulator of Schwann cell migration, providing a potential therapeutic target for nerve injury repair.