Up-regulated lncRNA5322 elevates MAPK1 to enhance proliferation of hair follicle stem cells as a ceRNA of microRNA-19b-3p
Authors: Fangxia Guan
Shanshan Ma
Qinghua Li
Bingjie Cai
Minghao Yao
Yanting Zhang
Guangwen Yin
Kun Zhang
Xinxin Wang
Hongtao Liu
Junmin Wang
Journal: Cell Cycle (2019)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: Hair follicle stem cells; epidermal regeneration; long non-coding RNA5322; microRNA-19b-3p; mitogen-activated protein kinase 1
Affiliations: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China, School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China

Abstract:  Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), located in the bulge region of the follicle, maintain hair follicle growth and cycling. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), non-protein coding transcripts, are widely known to play critical roles in differentiation and proliferation of stem cells. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the regulatory roles of lncRNA5322 in HFSCs proliferation and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Initially, the expression patterns of lncRNA5322 and microRNA-19b-3p (miR-19b-3p) in HFSCs were detected. Subsequently, gain-and loss-of-functions analyses were conducted to explore the roles of lncRNA5322, miR-19b-3p and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) in cell proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of HFSCs, with the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)1 and CDK2 examined. Also, the interaction relationships among lncRNA5322, miR-19b-3p and MAPK1 were explored. Furthermore, a mouse model was established to detect the roles of lncRNA5322, miR-19b-3p, and MAPK1 in wound contraction and epidermal regeneration. Over-expressed lncRNA5322 was found to promote proliferation, colony formation ability but inhibit apoptosis of HFSCs, in addition to up-regulation of the expression of CDK1 and CDK2. LncRNA5322 was found to act as a ceRNA of miR-19b-3p which directly targeted MAPK1. Furthermore, up-regulation of lncRNA5322 enhanced wound contraction and epidermal regeneration in vivo by increasing the expression of MAPK1 through functioning as a ceRNA of miR-19b-3p. In summary, the results in this study suggested that lncRNA5322 serves as a ceRNA of miR-19b-3p to elevate the expression of MAPK1, ultimately promoting HFSCs proliferation, wound contraction and epidermal regeneration of mouse model. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 Figs 1d, 3c, 4d, 5c. These are curiously stylised Western Blots, devoid of background. The protein blobs maintain the same string-of-sausages morphology between gels, and (within gels), between bands, as the proteins migrate across each gel. Is it possible for the authors to upload or link to scans of the original gels? ![file] Similar WBs appear elsewhere in the literature (sometimes in papers that [were retracted] for being products of a papermill). Here is a montage I prepared earlier: ![] , 
 Retracted [22 April 2022] . -------------------------- We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Cell Cycle, have retracted the following article: Bingjie Cai, Xinxin Wang, Hongtao Liu, Shanshan Ma, Kun Zhang, Yanting Zhang, Qinghua Li, Junmin Wang, Minghao Yao, Fangxia Guan, and Guangwen Yin. Up-regulated lncRNA5322 elevates MAPK1 to enhance proliferation of hair follicle stem cells as a ceRNA of microRNA-19b-3p. Cell Cycle. 2019;18(14):1588-1600. doi: http: 1d0.1080 15384101.2019.1624111. Since publication, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data in the article. When approached for an explanation, the authors have been unable to fully address the concerns raised and have not been able to provide their original data. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article. The corresponding author listed in this publication has been informed. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as u2018Retractedu2019. ,