Genome-Wide Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Pathways Regulated by Sterculic Acid in Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Cells

In addition to its predominant role in lipid metabolism and body weight control, SCD1 has emerged recently as a potential new target for the treatment of various diseases. Sterculic acid (SA) is a cyclopropene fatty acid with numerous biological activities, generally attributed to its Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) inhibitory properties. Additional effects exerted by SA, independently of SCD inhibition, may be mediating anti-inflammatory and protective roles in retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. In order to provide insights into those mechanisms, genome-wide transcriptomic analyses were carried out in mRPE cells exposed to SA for 24 h. Integrative functional enrichment analysis of genome-wide expression data provided biological insight about the protective mechanisms induced by SA. On the one hand, pivotal genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis, steroid biosynthesis, cell death, actin-cytoskeleton reorganization and extracellular matrix-receptor interaction were significantly downregulated by exposition to SA. On the other hand, genes related to fatty acid degradation and beta-oxidation were significantly upregulated. In conclusion, SA administration to RPE cells regulates crucial pathways related to cell proliferation, inflammation and cell death that may be of interest for the treatment of ocular diseases.