MiR-452 negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation in periodontal ligament stem cells by targeting the polycomb-group protein, BMI1

Purpose: To determine whether miR-452 regulates osteoblast differentiation (OD) in human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) by targeting polycomb-group protein BMI1. Methods: hPDLSCs were stimulated to differentiate upon treatment with mineralization liquid. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to measure mRNA and protein expressions, respectively. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and Alizarin red staining were used to determine the osteogenic differentiation (OD) of hPDLSCs. The bioinformatics software, Targetscan, was used to predict the potential target of miR-452, while luciferase assay, qRT- PCR, and western blot were employed to verify the target gene of miR-452, BMI1. Results: MiR-452 was downregulated during the OD of hPDLSCs, but miR-452 overexpression inhibited the OD of hPDLSCs. BMI1 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-452 during the OD of hPDLSCs, while miR-452 overexpression correlated inversely with BMI1 expression during OD of hPDLSCs. Conclusion: Overexpression of miR-452 suppresses the OD of hPDLSCs by targeting BMI1.This study may provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic basis for OD in hPDLSCs.