Circular RNA hsa_circ_105039 promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation by sponging miR-17 to regulate cyclinD2 expression

Previously it was found that hsa_circ_105039 was underexpressed in the heart tissue of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, the function and mechanism of hsa_circ_105039 in CHD are unclear. In the present study, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were differentiated into cardiomyocytes using 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Cell differentiation, viability, migration and apoptosis were measured before and following hsa_circ_105039 knockdown or overexpression. The results indicated that hsa_circ_105039 overexpression promoted cell differentiation, viability and migration; whereas apoptosis was simultaneously repressed. A luciferase reporter assay verified that hsa_circ_105039 acted as a sponge for microRNA (miR)-17 and that cyclinD2 was a direct target of miR-17. Furthermore, differentiation-related genes and proteins were analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. The results showed that hsa_circ_105039 could also upregulate the expression of differentiation-related genes and proteins, including natriuretic peptide A, cardiac troponin I, GATA-binding protein 4 and homobox transcription factor, in iPS cells. The results suggested that hsa_circ_105039 exerted a protective effect by promoting miR-17/cyclinD2 in DMSO-induced iPS cardiomyocytes, which indicated that hsa_circ_105039 is a potential key molecule for the diagnosis of CHD.