Identification and Characterization of Circular RNAs As a New Class of Putative Biomarkers in Human Blood

PLoS One. 2015 Oct 20;10(10):e0141214. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141214. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Covalently closed circular RNA molecules (circRNAs) have recently emerged as a class of RNA isoforms with widespread and tissue specific expression across animals, oftentimes independent of the corresponding linear mRNAs. circRNAs are remarkably stable and sometimes highly expressed molecules. Here, we sequenced RNA in human peripheral whole blood to determine the potential of circRNAs as biomarkers in an easily accessible body fluid. We report the reproducible detection of thousands of circRNAs. Importantly, we observed that hundreds of circRNAs are much higher expressed than corresponding linear mRNAs. Thus, circRNA expression in human blood reveals and quantifies the activity of hundreds of coding genes not accessible by classical mRNA specific assays. Our findings suggest that circRNAs could be used as biomarker molecules in standard clinical blood samples.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Liver / metabolism
  • RNA / blood*
  • RNA / genetics*
  • RNA / isolation & purification
  • RNA, Circular

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • RNA, Circular
  • RNA

Grants and funding

SM was supported by the grant DFG RA 838/7-1, PP was supported by the NYU/MDC Exchange Program, OP and NR were supported by the grant BIH CRG 2a TP7.