CircCOPS8 inhibits the proliferation of buffalo myoblasts by binding to IGF2BP3 and promoting tumor suppressor gene expression

Abstract Background Buffalo is a characteristic species in Guangxi, whose meat is nutrient-dense and good for the human body because of its polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid. CircRNA is a type of non-coding RNA contributing to the growth of skeletal muscle via molecular sponges, protein scaffolds, and coded short peptides. Results Our prior RNA-seq results presented that the expression of circCOPS8 in the longissimus muscle of buffalo and cattle was considerably different. According to the results of western blotting and qPCR ( P < 0.05), circCOPS8 improved the differentiation and suppressed the proliferation of buffalo myoblasts. However, the outcomes of the mouse muscle injury model showed that circCOPS8 hindered mice from repairing their damaged muscles. Further study on the mechanism of RIP-qPCR proved that circCOPS8 could bind to IGF2BP3 ( P < 0.05). Transcriptome sequencing along with the outcomes of qPCR further demonstrated that circCOPS8 may also prevent cell growth by activating tumor suppressor genes ( P < 0.05). Conclusion CircCOPS8 inhibits cell proliferation by binding to IGF2BP3 and promoting ATR gene expression. This study described the function and mechanism of circCOPS8, setting the theoretical groundwork for research of circRNAs regulating buffalo muscle growth.