CircRNA-0100 Positively Regulates the Differentiation of Cashmere Goat SHF-SCs into Hair Follicle Lineage via Sequestering miR-153-3p to Heighten the KLF5 Expression

The study investigated the role of a newly identified circular RNA, circRNA-0100, in the development of secondary hair follicles (SHF) in cashmere goats. The researchers found that circRNA-0100 was expressed at higher levels during the anagen (growth) phase of SHF compared to the telogen (resting) phase. They used overexpression and siRNA interference assays to demonstrate that circRNA-0100 promotes the differentiation of SHF stem cells (SHF-SCs) into hair follicle lineage, as evidenced by changes in the transcriptional levels of six indicator genes. The study also showed that circRNA-0100 acts as a molecular sponge for miR-153-3p, which in turn positively regulates the expression of the KLF5 gene, a process important for hair follicle differentiation. These findings suggest that circRNA-0100 may enhance the differentiation of SHF-SCs into hair lineage by sequestering miR-153-3p to increase KLF5 expression, providing insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating hair follicle development in cashmere goats.