The microRNA regulatory landscape of skeletal muscle-derived extracellular vesicles

Abstract

Skeletal muscle-derived extracellular vesicles (SkM-EVs) have recently been recognized as novel endocrine factors capable of facilitating inter-organ communication between skeletal muscle and distant organs. These vesicles transport various molecular cargoes, including microRNAs (miRNAs), which are essential regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression. In this study, we characterized the miRNA composition of SkM-EVs using small RNA sequencing and elucidated their putative biological roles via comprehensive bioinformatics analyses. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the predicted miRNA targets revealed that SkM-EV miRNAs are involved in several key pathways, including the FoxO signaling pathway, the insulin signaling pathway, and cancer-related pathways. Our findings suggest that SkM-EV miRNAs may simultaneously promote muscle differentiation and exert protective effects against diabetes and cancer development. These findings provide new insights into the systemic regulatory roles of SkM-EVs and highlight their therapeutic potential for muscular, metabolic, and oncological disorders.