Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40038674›Full record

ArticleBMC biology2025

The circular RNA circbabo(5,6,7,8S) regulates lipid metabolism and neuronal integrity via TGF-β/ROS/JNK/SREBP signaling axis in Drosophila.

Jie Sheng, Xuemei Zhang, Weihong Liang, Junfang Lyu, Bei Zhang, Jie Min, Austin Xu, Xingyu Xu, Jennifer W Li, Jian-Liang Li and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Circular RNAEnvironment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026
    Article
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  3. Article
  4. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jie ShengJiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Xuemei ZhangJiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Weihong LiangDepartments of Medicine, Biological Chemistry & Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children'S Hospital, BaltimoreSt. Petersburg, MDFL, 2120533701, USA.
Junfang LyuJiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Bei ZhangDepartments of Medicine, Biological Chemistry & Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children'S Hospital, BaltimoreSt. Petersburg, MDFL, 2120533701, USA.
Jie MinDepartments of Medicine, Biological Chemistry & Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children'S Hospital, BaltimoreSt. Petersburg, MDFL, 2120533701, USA.
Austin XuDepartments of Medicine, Biological Chemistry & Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children'S Hospital, BaltimoreSt. Petersburg, MDFL, 2120533701, USA.
Xingyu XuJiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Jennifer W LiDepartment of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Jian-Liang LiNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, 27709, USA.
Rui ZhouDepartments of Medicine, Biological Chemistry & Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children'S Hospital, BaltimoreSt. Petersburg, MDFL, 2120533701, USA. rzhou13@jhmi.edu.
Wei LiuJiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China. wliu@xzhmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Integrative BioinformaticsZICES103371 · NIEHS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES · PI LI, JIAN-LIANG · 2022 to 2025
$11.5M
Role of Circular RNAs in Innate Immunity and Neuro-developmentR01AI140049 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI ZHOU, RUI · 2018 to 2023
$2.0M
Role of Circular RNAs in Innate ImmunityR21AI131099 · NIAID · SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE · PI ZHOU, RUI · 2017 to 2018
$497k
Exploiting the Candida albicans Dicer Protein as a Therapeutic TargetR03AI131068 · NIAID · SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE · PI ZHOU, RUI · 2017 to 2018
$179k
Intramural NIH HHS ZIC ES103371National Natural Science Foundation of China 32200622NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI140049NIAID NIH HHS R03 AI131068NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI131099NIH HHS 1R01AI140049Scientific Research Foundation for Excellent Talents of Xuzhou Medical University D2022048Scientific Research Foundation for Excellent Talents of Xuzhou Medical University D2022049, TD202404
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic cytoplasmic lipid-storing organelles that play a pivotal role in maintaining cellular energy balance, lipid homeostasis, and metabolic signaling. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism, particularly excessive lipogenesis, contributes to the abnormal accumulation of LDs in the nervous system, which is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of non-coding and regulatory RNAs that are widely expressed in eukaryotes. However, only a subset has been functionally characterized. Here, we identified and functionally characterized a new circular RNA circbabo(5,6,7,8S) that regulates lipogenesis and neuronal integrity in Drosophila melanogaster.

resultscircbabo(5,6,7,8S) is derived from the babo locus which encodes the type I receptor for transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Depletion of circbabo(5,6,7,8S) in flies causes elevated lipid droplet accumulation, progressive photoreceptor cell loss and shortened lifespan, phenotypes that are rescued by restoring circbabo(5,6,7,8S) expression. In addition, RNA-seq and epistasis analyses reveal that these abnormalities are caused by aberrant activation of the SREBP signaling pathway. Furthermore, circbabo(5,6,7,8S)-depleted tissues display enhanced activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway and compromised mitochondrial function, resulting in upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, we provide evidence that circbabo(5,6,7,8S) encodes the protein circbabo(5,6,7,8S)-p, which inhibits TGF-β signaling by interfering with the assembly of babo/put receptor heterodimer complex. Lastly, we show that dysregulation of the ROS/JNK/SREBP signaling cascade is responsible for the LD accumulation, neurodegeneration, and shortened lifespan phenotypes elicited by circbabo(5,6,7,8S) depletion.

conclusionsOur study demonstrates the physiological role of the protein-coding circRNA circbabo(5,6,7,8S) in regulating lipid metabolism and neuronal integrity.

Indexed as

Drosophila melanogasterLipid MetabolismNeuronsRNA, CircularSignal TransductionAnimalsDrosophila ProteinsLipogenesisReactive Oxygen SpeciesSterol Regulatory Element Binding ProteinsTransforming Growth Factor betaDrosophila ProteinsReactive Oxygen SpeciesRNA, CircularSterol Regulatory Element Binding ProteinsTransforming Growth Factor betacircbabo(5,6,7,8S)DrosophilaLipid metabolismNeuronal integritySREBPTGF-β

Identifiers

PMID40038674
PMCPMC11881384

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.