The Circular RNA CircCOL1A1 Functions as a miR-149-5p Sponge to Regulate the Formation of Superior-Quality Brush Hair via the CMTM3/AR Axis

The study investigated the role of circular RNA (circRNA) circCOL1A1 in the formation of superior-quality brush hair (Type III hair) in Yangtze River Delta white goats. Researchers compared circRNA sequencing data from goats with normal-quality and superior-quality brush hair and identified circCOL1A1 as differentially expressed. They conducted functional assays using goat hair follicle stem cells (gHFSCs) treated with circCOL1A1 overexpression plasmids and small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs). The results showed that knockdown of circCOL1A1 enhanced gHFSC proliferation and differentiation while reducing apoptosis, whereas overexpression had the opposite effects. Bioinformatics and experimental assays demonstrated that circCOL1A1 acts as a sponge for miR-149-5p, thereby modulating the CMTM3/AR axis, which is crucial for the growth of gHFSCs and the development of superior-quality brush hair. This study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism involving circCOL1A1 in the formation of high-quality brush hair in goats.