miR-29a-5p Inhibits Prenatal Hair Placode Formation Through Targeting EDAR by ceRNA Regulatory Network

The study investigated the role of miR-29a-5p and lncRNA627.1 in prenatal hair placode formation. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing, the researchers found that miR-29a-5p inhibits hair placode formation by directly regulating the expression of EDAR, a gene involved in hair follicle development. They also identified two competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, lncRNA2162.1/miR-29a-5p/BMPR1b and lncRNA627.1/miR-29a-5p/EDAR, which may significantly influence hair placode formation. Additionally, the study found that miR-29a-5p inhibits the proliferation of hair placode precursor cells (HPPCs) by suppressing EDAR expression, while lncRNA627.1 removes this inhibition. High expression levels of EDAR promote HPPC proliferation, while low EDAR expression inhibits it. The results suggest a complex regulatory mechanism involving miR-29a-5p, lncRNA627.1, and EDAR in hair placode formation, but further investigation is needed to fully understand the relationship between lncRNA627.1 and miR-29a-5p.