Exosomal miR-137-3p targets UBE3C to activate STAT3, promoting migration and differentiation into endometrial epithelial cell of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells under hypoxia

Figure 6 Overexpression of ubiquitin protein ligase E3C negated the stimulatory influences of miR-137-3p on human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell performance. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were transfected with miR-137-3p mimic or ubiquitin protein ligase E3C overexpression construct. A: Transwell assays to examine human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell migration. ^aP < 0.01, negative control (NC) mimic group vs miR-137-3p mimic group, ^bP < 0.01 miR-137-3p mimic group vs miR-137-3p mimic + overexpression of ubiquitin protein ligase E3C (UBE3C-OE) group. Scale bar = 100 μm, n = 3; B: Wound healing assays to gauge cell migration. ^aP < 0.0001, NC mimic group vs miR-137-3p mimic group, ^bP < 0.0001, miR-137-3p mimic group vs miR-137-3p mimic + UBE3C-OE group. Scale bar = 200 μm, n = 3; C: Western blot analysis of p-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 protein levels. ^aP < 0.05, NC mimic group vs miR-137-3p mimic group, ^bP < 0.05, miR-137-3p mimic group vs miR-137-3p mimic + UBE3C-OE group. n = 3. The data are expressed as mean ± SD. HucMSC: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell; NC: Negative control; UBE3C-OE: Overexpression of ubiquitin protein ligase E3C; STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3.