Research Paper Volume 15, Issue 14 pp 7124—7145

Figure 3. LncRNA SPIRE1 is a ceRNA that sponges miR-181a-5p in mouse mandibular BM-MSCs. (A) Schematic diagram shows the matching base pairs between miR-181a-5p and the wild type (WT) or mutated (MUT) LncRNA SPIRE1. (B) The luciferase activity of the reporter vectors was detected in mandibular BM-MSCs at 48 hours after co-transfection of the plasmid expressing wild type or mutant LncRNA SPIRE1 together with the negative control (NC) mimic or inhibitor, or miR-181a-5p-specific mimic or inhibitor. (C, D) The relative expression level of miR-181a-5p in mandibular BM-MSCs was determined at 48 hours after the transient transfection of control scramble shRNA or LncRNA SPIRE1-specific shRNA (C), or empty vector or LncRNA SPIRE1-expressing plasmid (D) by RT-qPCR. (E) Mandibular-BM-MSCs (but not blood cells) from periodontitis mice displayed a higher expression level of miR-181a-5p than that from normal controls. The level of miR-181a-5p in BM-MSCs and blood cells of the indicated groups was measured by qPCR. n = 3 for each group; ^**P < 0.01; ^***P < 0.001, between the indicated groups.