Dynamic expression of noncoding RNAs associated with autophagy-related genes in the human intestine during prenatal development

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a conserved lysosomal degradation pathway essential for embryonic development and cell differentiation. Although noncoding RNAs are increasingly recognized as regulators of autophagy, their roles in human fetal intestinal development remain undefined. We performed high-throughput sequencing on 10 human fetal intestinal samples from 7 to 20 post-conception weeks to profile the expression of autophagy-related circRNAs and lncRNAs and construct predicted regulatory networks. Transmission electron microscopy of intestinal duplication samples showed autophagy-related alterations compared with normal postnatal intestinal controls. Immunohistochemistry showed higher LC3B expression and lower P62 expression in the intestinal duplication group. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence double staining visualized the co-expression of core ncRNAs and their predicted target proteins. These analyses showed the temporal dynamics of autophagy-associated circRNAs and lncRNAs in early human intestinal development and identified multiple previously unreported noncoding RNAs in fetal intestine. These findings enhance understanding of predicted autophagy-related noncoding RNA modulation during human intestinal development and provide a foundation for future studies of embryonic developmental disorders.