非编码RNA及其调控功能的研究进展

过去认为,在生命活动中RNA只是配角,其作用是将遗传信息从DNA传递给蛋白质,而细胞内存在的小分子RNA（后来称之为非编码RNA,non-coding RNA,ncRNA）只不过是一些降解产物;但随着研究的不断深入,RNA生物学功能的多样性以及ncRNA调控功能的重要性得到了深刻认识。     

小RNA的研究现状

长期以来,人们认为RNA只是起到遗传信息“桥梁”的作用,从DNA获得遗传信息再转化成蛋白质。然而,近十几年的研究表明——小RNA在基因调控和生长发育等方面发挥着重要作用。小RNA主要包括两大类：siRNA和miRNA。它们的功能既有相似又有差异,siRNA主要参与RNA干涉,而miRNA形成核糖核蛋白复合体(miRNP)调控基因表达。本文从siRNA和miRNA的结构、功能以及与人类疾病关系等方面综述了小RNA的最新研究进展。     

非编码RNA与系统性红斑狼疮的相关研究进展

非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)是一类不具有编码蛋白质功能的基因组转录产物,其具有复杂的生物学功能,广泛参与人体生理、病理活动的调控.近来研究发现,ncRNA的表达失调与SLE的发生密切相关.该文对ncRNA与SLE的相关研究进展进行综述,旨在为进一步探索ncRNA在SLE中的作用提供新思路,为...     

MicroRNAs研究新进展

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类长约21～28nt的非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)。该类RNA普遍存在于生物界,具有高度的保守性。在个体发育过程中,参与基因表达调控,具有“管家”作用。Lin-4与Let-7是目前研究较为清楚的两种MicroRNA。新的MicroRNA的不断发现及其生理功能的精确定位,将会建立一种新的调节性RNAs种类。     

RNA研究进展

近10年来,人们对RNA领域有了更多更新的研究发现,RNA早已不再局限于编译蛋白质,它还影响着生物体的基因表达、细胞周期及个体发育过程。小干扰RNA(smallinterfering RNA,siRNA)和非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)对生物体的生命活动有着重要的调控作用。siRNA引起RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi),ncRNA在包括转录调节、染色体复制、RNA剪切及加工、维护mRNA稳定和     

环状RNA在肿瘤免疫中的研究进展

非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)可以分为环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)和线性ncRNA.ncRNA存在于不同的细胞类型中,包括正常细胞、肿瘤细胞和免疫细胞等.目前已经发现线性ncRNA,如长链非编码RNA(long noncoding RNA,lncRNA)和微RNA(m...     

非编码RNA在干燥综合征中的研究进展

干燥综合征(SS)是一种慢性自身免疫性疾病,以外分泌腺淋巴细胞浸润为主要特点,以口干、眼干为主要临床表现。SS发病机制尚未明确,病因包括遗传、病毒感染以及环境因素等,造成机体免疫功能失衡,产生多种自身抗体及细胞因子造成组织损伤。近年来非编码RNA(ncRNA)在疾病调控中所发挥的作用受到重视,研究显示SS患者存在ncRNA表达异常,在SS免疫炎症反应过程中发挥着重要作用。本文综述ncRNA在干燥综合征中的相关研究进展。     

MicroRNAs研究新进展

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类长约2l～28nt的非编码RNA(non-coding RNA，ncRNA)^[1]。该类RNA普遍存在于生物界，具有高度的保守性。在个体发育过程中，参与基因表达调控，具有“管家”作用。Lin-4与Let-7是目前研究较为清楚的两种MicroRNA。新的MicroRNA的不断发现及其生理功能的精确定位，将会建立一种新的调节性RNAs种类。     

非编码RNA调控精子发生的研究进展

随着基因组学研究的发展,发现生物体基因组内存在大量不编码蛋白质的基因。这些基因的转录产物称为非编码RNA(Noncoding RNA,ncRNA)。以前认为ncRNA是基因组中无用的序列,但是研究表明ncRNA在很多生命活动中起到很重要的作用。按照转录产物的序列长短ncRNA分为短链非编码RNA(Small ncRNA)和长链非编码RNA(LncRNA)。精子发生包括精原细胞增殖,精母细胞减数分裂以及精子成熟等一系列受到精确调控的生理发育过程。精子发生需要相关基因的适时表达,并受到转录和转录后水平的调控。但是精子发生过程的调控机制目前还未完全研究清楚。最新研究发现在精子发生过程ncRNA起到很重要的作用,即使在成熟精子细胞中也有ncRNA的表达。表明ncRNA参与调控精子发生的过程,并且这些父源ncRNA可能在接下来的受精和胚胎发育中起到重要的调节作用。结合最新研究进展,本文综述了ncRNA在精子发生过程所起的作用,以期为精子发生过程中ncRNA的进一步研究提供参考。     

牛磺酸上调基因1对肿瘤发生发展的调控作用

<正>基因的失调控(异常表达)是肿瘤发生发展的重要原因(诱因)业已被学术界所公认,而在这一过程中非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)起到了极为重要的调控作用~([1-2])。小RNA(small RNA;包括微小RNA,microRNA,miRNA,miR)和长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)均属于ncRNA~([3-4])。     

Regulatory noncoding RNAs and the major histocompatibility complex

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a 4 Mbp genomic region located on the short arm of chromosome 6. The MHC region contains many key immune-related genes such as Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLAs). There has been a growing realization that, apart from MHC encoded proteins, RNAs derived from noncoding regions of the MHC—specifically microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs)—play a significant role in cellular regulation. Furthermore, regulatory noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) derived from other parts of the genome fine-tune the expression of many immune-related MHC proteins. Although the field of ncRNAs of the MHC is a research area that is still in its infancy, ncRNA regulation of MHC genes has already been shown to be vital for immune function, healthy pregnancy and cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of this intricate network of ncRNAs can lead to serious perturbations in homeostasis and subsequent disease.     

Noncoding RNAs in the Regulation of Pluripotency and Reprogramming

Pluripotent stem cells have great potential for developmental biology and regenerative medicine. Embryonic stem cells, which are obtained from blastocysts, and induced pluripotent stem cells, which are generated by the reprogramming of somatic cells, are two main types of pluripotent cells. It is important to understand the regulatory network that controls the pluripotency state and reprogramming process. Various types of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as substantial components of regulatory networks. The most studied class of ncRNAs in the context of pluripotency and reprogramming is microRNAs (miRNAs). In addition to canonical microRNAs, other types of small RNAs with miRNA-like function are expressed in PSCs. Another class of ncRNAs, long ncRNAs, are also involved in pluripotency and reprogramming regulation. Thousands of ncRNAs have been annotated to date, and a significant number of the molecules do not have known function. In this review, we briefly summarized recent advances in this field and described existing genome-editing approaches to study ncRNA functions.     

Eukaryotic regulatory RNAs: an answer to the 'genome complexity' conundrum

A large portion of the eukaryotic genome is transcribed as noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). While once thought of primarily as "junk," recent studies indicate that a large number of these RNAs play central roles in regulating gene expression at multiple levels. The increasing diversity of ncRNAs identified in the eukaryotic genome suggests a critical nexus between the regulatory potential of ncRNAs and the complexity of genome organization. We provide an overview of recent advances in the identification and function of eukaryotic ncRNAs and the roles played by these RNAs in chromatin organization, gene expression, and disease etiology.     

Treasure hunt in an amoeba: non-coding RNAs in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dictyostelium discoideum</Emphasis>

The traditional view of RNA being merely an intermediate in the transfer of genetic information, as mRNA, spliceosomal RNA, tRNA, and rRNA, has become outdated. The recent discovery of numerous regulatory RNAs with a plethora of functions in biological processes has truly revolutionized our understanding of gene regulation. Tiny RNAs such as microRNAs and small interfering RNAs play vital roles at different levels of gene control. Small nucleolar RNAs are much more abundant than previously recognized, and new functions beyond processing and modification of rRNA have recently emerged. Longer non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) can also have important regulatory roles in the cell, e.g., antisense RNAs that control their target mRNAs. The majority of these important findings arose from analyses in various model organisms. In this review, we focus on ncRNAs in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. This important genetically tractable model organism has recently received renewed attention in terms of discovery, regulation and functional studies of ncRNAs. Old and recent findings are discussed and put in context of what we today know about ncRNAs in other organisms.     

Distinct Patterns of Genetic Variations in Potential Functional Elements in Long Noncoding RNAs

Non‐protein‐coding RNAs have increasingly been shown to be an important class of regulatory RNAs having significant roles in regulation of gene expression. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) gene family presently constitutes a large number of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) loci almost equaling the number of protein‐coding genes. Nevertheless, the biological roles and mechanisms of the majority of lncRNAs are poorly understood, with exceptions of a very few well‐studied candidates. The availability of genome‐scale variation datasets, and increasing number of variant loci from genome‐wide association studies falling in lncRNA loci have motivated us to understand the patterns of genomic variations in lncRNA loci, their potential functional correlates, and selection in populations. In the present study, we have performed a comprehensive analysis of genomic variations in lncRNA loci. We analyzed for patterns and distributions of genomic variations with respect to potential functional domains in lncRNAs. The analysis reveals a distinct distribution of variations in subclasses of long ncRNAs and in potential functional domains of lncRNAs. We further examined signals of selections and allele frequencies of these prioritized set of lncRNAs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and comprehensive large‐scale analysis of genetic variations in long ncRNAs.