Transcriptomic analysis of human ALS skeletal muscle reveals a disease-specific pattern of dysregulated circRNAs

Circular RNAs are abundant, covalently closed transcripts that arise in cells through back-splicing and display distinct expression patterns across cells and developmental stages. While their functions are largely unknown, their intrinsic stability has made them valuable biomarkers in many diseases. Here, we set out to examine circRNA patterns in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). By RNA-sequencing analysis, we first identified circRNAs and linear RNAs that were differentially abundant in skeletal muscle biopsies from ALS compared to normal individuals. By RT-qPCR analysis, we confirmed that 8 circRNAs were significantly elevated and 10 were significantly reduced in ALS, while the linear mRNA counterparts, arising from shared precursor RNAs, generally did not change. Several of these circRNAs were also differentially abundant in motor neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) bearing ALS mutations, and across different disease stages in skeletal muscle from a mouse model of ALS (SOD1(G93A)). Interestingly, a subset of the circRNAs significantly elevated in ALS muscle biopsies were significantly reduced in the spinal cord samples from ALS patients and ALS (SOD1(G93A)) mice. In sum, we have identified differentially abundant circRNAs in ALS-relevant tissues (muscle and spinal cord) that could inform about neuromuscular molecular programs in ALS and guide the development of therapies.