The Role of Human-Specific lncRNA in Hyaline Cartilage Development

One of the distinctive characteristics of humans is their bipedalism. To achieve upright bipedal walking, the angles of the pelvis and femur have been altered. Although evolutionary hypotheses on the transition to bipedalism exist, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study attempts to elucidate these mechanisms using a system for inducing hyaline cartilage-like tissue from human iPS cells via limb bud like mesenchymal cells. Focus was placed on non-coding RNAs, known for their potential in generating biological diversity. Bulk RNA sequencing was conducted to compare the expression and functions of human-specific long non-coding RNAs between limb bud like mesenchymal cells and induced hyaline cartilage-like tissue. The results indicated that human-specific lncRNAs, significantly upregulated in hyaline cartilage-like tissue, may regulate genes related to the extracellular matrix. These findings suggest the potential to develop regenerative cartilage tissue with enhanced ECM quality through controlling human-specific lncRNAs. Additionally, studying human-specific lncRNAs could elucidate mechanisms of diseases that are less common in other species but more prevalent in humans.