LncRNA AC006064.4–201 serves as a novel molecular marker in alleviating cartilage senescence and protecting against osteoarthritis by destabilizing CDKN1B mRNA via interacting with PTBP1

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent age-related disease in the world. Chondrocytes undergo an age-dependent decline in their proliferation and synthetic capacity, which is the main cause of OA development. However, the intrinsic mechanism of chondrocyte senescence is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of a novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), AC006064.4–201 in the regulation of chondrocyte senescence and OA progression and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The function of AC006064.4–201 in chondrocytes was assessed using western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence (IF) and β-galactosidase staining. The interaction between AC006064.4–201 and polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), as well as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B), was evaluated using RPD-MS, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays. Mice models were used to investigate the role of AC006064.4–201 in post-traumatic and age-related OA in vivo. RESULTS: Our research revealed that AC006064.4–201 was downregulated in senescent and degenerated human cartilage, which could alleviate senescence and regulate metabolism in chondrocytes. Mechanically, AC006064.4–201 directly interacts with PTBP1 and blocks the binding between PTBP1 and CDKN1B mRNA, thereby destabilizing CDKN1B mRNA and decreasing the translation of CDKN1B. The in vivo experiments were consistent with the results of the in vitro experiments. CONCLUSIONS: The AC006064.4–201/PTBP1/CDKN1B axis plays an important role in OA development and provides new molecular markers for the early diagnosis and treatment of OA in the future. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: Schematic diagram of AC006064.4–201 mechanism. A schematic diagram of the mechanism underlying the effect of AC006064.4–201 [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40364-023-00477-6.