RNA‑seq技术在水生生物生态毒理学中的应用进展

水域是地球环境的重要组成部分,也是最易受污染的生态系统之一。水生态系统中不同营养级别的水生生物可通过摄食、接触等多种途径摄入水体中的污染物。因此,监测水域污染物对水生生物和生态系统的影响,解析污染物对不同水生生物的毒性机制,筛选敏感、有效的生物标志物对生态毒理学研究和环境风险评价具有重要意义。RNA测序（RNA sequencing,RNA?seq）技术因所需样品量少,且不需参考序列,可在整体水平上鉴定基因差异表达,成为水生生物生态毒理学研究的最佳方法之一。基于此,介绍了RNA?seq技术的基本流程与数据分析过程,对该技术在不同生态位的水生生物（如鱼类、两栖类、贝类、甲壳类等）生态毒理学中的应用展开综述,并对RNA?seq技术面临的不足、挑战及发展趋势进行探讨,以期为该技术在水生生物生态毒理学研究中的应用,尤其是水生态环境中污染物胁迫水生生物机制的阐明及污染水域生态环境恢复提供参考。     

污染胁迫下的蚯蚓蛋白质组学研究进展

随着蛋白质组学的发展和每年有大量环境污染物进入土壤环境中,污染胁迫模式动物的相关生物标志物受到日益关注。蚯蚓,作为土壤中最大的无脊椎动物,是研究和评价土壤生态污染良好的模式动物。研究蚯蚓的蛋白质组学,对于寻找环境生态污染相关生物标志物和阐明生态毒理学机制有着十分重要的现实意义。目前已知的污染胁迫下蚯蚓蛋白质组学研究,提供了几个特定污染物胁迫蚯蚓的蛋白表达谱。这些蛋白涉及许多生物学过程,例如信号传导、糖酵解、能量代谢、分子伴侣和转录调节,提示了相关污染物可能的生态毒理学机制,有望成为潜在的生物标志物,用于有毒污染物的监测,但其特异性需要进一步试验的验证。对蚯蚓受污染胁迫的蛋白质组表达谱及潜在生物标志物进行简要综述。     

生物标志物（Biomarkers）在海洋环境监测中的研究与进展

污染物的存在给海洋环境和生态健康带来了巨大的压力,如何监测这些污染物并对其毒性进行科学的评价,成为当今环境科学关心的热点问题。生物标志物（Biomarkers）是毒理学研究的重要工具,它能对污染事件进行早期预警,并能在一定程度上评估生态风险。对近十多年来生物标志物的研究与应用进行了回顾,总结了不同水平（分子、细胞、个体、系统）生物标志物的种类、特征、检测方法和应用特点,并对现存挑战和未来发展趋向进行了展望,旨在系统的认识生物标志物,并为其在海洋环境监测中的合理应用提供理论借鉴。     

水环境中工程纳米颗粒物的生态毒理学机理及理想模式生物的筛选

随着纳米技术产业的高速发展,大量工程纳米颗粒物(Engineering nano-particles,ENPs)被排放到自然水环境中,因此对其进行生态毒性及环境风险的研究尤为迫切。综述了ENPs在水环境中的毒理学机理及理想模式生物筛选的研究进展。目前的研究表明ENPs的毒性作用机制主要包括两方面:一是影响细胞信号通路,二是氧化应激造成基因表达的变化。此外,光催化活性、细胞表面附着、溶解特性、表面特征、赋存形态、溶剂效应及与其他环境污染物的协同作用也是可能的毒性作用机理。模式生物的筛选与确定在纳米生态毒理学研究中极为重要。鱼类作为水环境中普遍存在的脊椎动物,群落庞大,其具有行为端点敏感性高、且在生物毒性实验中存在明显的量效关系等特征,被认为是研究ENPs生态毒理学最适合的水生模式生物。研究表明针对在ENPs影响下的未成年鱼类的行为特征研究比传统的胚胎发育及致死率研究更为有效。无脊椎动物和浮游植物同样在各种水环境中普遍存在,对环境污染物极为敏感,且对有害物质具有显著的富集放大效应,因此作为模式生物也具有一定的优势。     

细胞凋亡相关的组合生物标志物的分子基础及其在环境毒理学中的意义

生物标志物(Biomarker)可以反映机体接触外来化学物后出现的细胞、生物化学或分子生物学改变,或个体对外来因素产生反应的易感性,因此,生物标志物作为指标具有早期预警作用,在生态毒理学、环境毒理学及流行病学研究中都受到极大的重视[1—6]。生物标志物被用于污染物影响的早期     

有毒污染物对生物体的毒性效应与自由基反应

概括介绍了有毒污染物对生物体毒性效应的基本类型、毒性效应研究的热点问题、毒物诱导自由基产生的机制和自由基对机体的损害机制等,最后指出今后应进一步认识和加强研究的几个方面的问题,如新型有毒污染物对生物体的毒性效应及其毒性效应产生的机制、慢性毒性效应有毒污染物的毒性效应、生态毒理学方法诊断和评价复合污染物对生物的遗传毒性效应、生物标记物研究和合理清除自由基等。     

MicroRNA在环境毒理学中的研究进展

MicroRNA（miRNA）是一类长为20～24nt的非编码单链小分子RNA,主要存在于真核生物中,具有组织特异性、无开放阅读框等特点,在转录或翻译水平调控基因表达,参与细胞增殖、分化、凋亡,并与炎症、肿瘤等疾病发生、发展密切相关。环境毒理学研究表明,当生物暴露于环境化学物质时,会引起相关miRNA表达发生变化,进而导致其靶基因表达发生改变。因此,有必要明确环境化学物质、miRNA和相关靶基因三者问的作用关系。在环境毒理学研究和环境监测中,miRNA可作为识别环境中化学物质基因毒性和致癌性的生物标记物,并可用于预测环境化学物质对生物体的毒性。     

多溴二苯醚的环境暴露与生态毒理研究进展

多溴二苯醚(PBDEs)是一类具有生态风险的新型环境有机污染物.作为阻燃剂,PBDEs已经被愈来愈广泛地添加到工业产品中,并因此对大气、水体、沉积物和土壤等环境介质及相关生态系统产生日益广泛的污染.鉴于这一环境新问题的产生,本文基于有限的资料,初步探讨了PBDEs的人为来源和环境暴露途径,大致给出了PBDEs在不同生物和人体不同组织器官中可能的存在及含量水平;在扼要介绍其基本性质的基础上,从甲状腺、神经系统和生殖发育毒性等三个方面分析了PBDEs对动物和人体可能产生的毒性效应与生态影响,以及PBDEs在生态系统中可能具有的生物积累和生物放大风险;并对今后研究PBDEs的环境暴露与生态效应以及人体健康影响等方面的工作重点进行了展望.     

海洋微塑料污染的生态效应研究进展

海洋微塑料污染已成为全球性环境问题。微塑料粒径小,易与海洋生物发生相互作用,可通过多种途径进入海洋生物体内,并在其组织和器官中蓄积和转移,对机体产生毒害。微塑料可沿食物链进行传递,威胁海洋生态系统的健康与稳定。因此,海洋生物与微塑料的相互作用以及海洋微塑料污染的生态效应成为当前研究的热点。综述微塑料的生物附着、生物摄入、对海洋生物的毒性效应及其与化学污染物的复合毒性效应研究的基础上,提出未来微塑料生态效应研究应重点关注我国海洋环境中微塑料的污染现状及生物摄入状况、微塑料的生物效应及其毒理学机制研究、微塑料与其他污染物的复合效应、以及微塑料在海洋生态系统中的作用及其生物地球化学行为等。     

环状RNA在人类疾病中的作用及研究进展

环状RNA（circular RNA,circRNA）是一类广泛表达于真核细胞的环形RNA,多起源于蛋白编码基因。近年来发现circRNAs可通过如miRNA“海绵”等作用模式在基因的表达中发挥重要的调控作用,存在器官组织特异性的表达谱,并且越来越多的证据表明circRNAs可能是一种潜在的疾病标志物和治疗靶点。本文将对circRNAs近年在疾病中的研究进展进行综述,具体分为以下几个方面：（1）circRNAs的基本特征;（2）circRNAs的合成调控;（3）环状RNA介导基因表达的调控机制;（4）circRNAs在肿瘤性疾病中的作用;（5）circRNAs在感染免疫相关性疾病中的作用;（6）circRNAs在心血管疾病中的作用;（7）研究展望。     

环状RNA在胃癌与结直肠癌中的功能和作为临床标志物的潜力

环状RNA（circRNA）是一种广泛存在于生物体内的新型内源性RNA。CircRNA由RNA前体可变剪接产生,比线性RNA有更好的稳定性,是最近几年RNA领域的明星分子。CircRNA来源于内含子或外显子,可充当miRNA海绵或者结合蛋白质来参与基因表达调控,甚至已发现有circRNA能编码蛋白质。越来越多的研究表明,circRNA在肿瘤（如：食管癌、肝癌、胃癌、结直肠癌和膀胱癌等）的发生发展中发挥了重要作用。近年来,circRNA在胃癌、结直肠癌的研究逐渐增加,circRNA可能成为新的生物学标志物发挥诊断和预后的作用。本文将主要介绍circRNA 在胃癌及结直肠癌的功能和作为临床标志物的研究进展。     

The potential of using blood circular RNA as liquid biopsy biomarker for human diseases

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel class of single-stranded RNAs with a closed loop structure. The majority of circRNAs are formed by a back-splicing process in pre-mRNA splicing. Their expression is dynamically regulated and shows spatiotemporal patterns among cell types, tissues and developmental stages. CircRNAs have important biological functions in many physiological processes, and their aberrant expression is implicated in many human diseases. Due to their high stability, circRNAs are becoming promising biomarkers in many human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and human cancers. In this review, we focus on the translational potential of using human blood circRNAs as liquid biopsy biomarkers for human diseases. We highlight their abundant expression, essential biological functions and significant correlations to human diseases in various components of peripheral blood, including whole blood, blood cells and extracellular vesicles. In addition, we summarize the current knowledge of blood circRNA biomarkers for disease diagnosis or prognosis.     

The emerging function and clinical significance of circRNAs in Thyroid Cancer and Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases

Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. The incidence of TC, especially that of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC); has increased rapidly in recent decades. Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is closely related to TC and has an estimated prevalence of 5%. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for TC and AITD. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with covalently bonded circular structures that lack 5''-3'' polarity and polyadenylated tails. Several circRNAs play crucial roles in the development of various diseases, including TC and AITD, and could be important new biomarkers and/or targets for the diagnosis and therapy of such disorders. Although there are four subtypes of TC, research on circRNA has largely focused on its connection to PTC. Therefore, this review mainly summarizes the relationships between circRNAs and PTC and AITD, including the molecular mechanisms underlying these relationships. In particular, the functions of “miRNA sponges” and their interactions with proteins and RNA are discussed. The possible targeting of circRNAs for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of TC and AITD is also described. CircRNAs could be potential biomarkers of TC and AITD, although validation will be required before they can be implemented in clinical practice.     

CircRNAs: a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system neoplasms

A circRNA is a type of endogenous noncoding RNA that consists of a closed circular RNA molecule formed by reverse splicing; these RNAs are widely distributed in a variety of biological cells. In contrast to linear RNAs, circRNAs have no 5′ cap or 3′ poly(A) tail. They have a stable structure, a high degree of conservation, and high stability, and they are richly and specifically expressed in certain tissues and developmental stages. CircRNAs play a very important role in the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors. According to their origins, circRNAs can be divided into four types: exon-derived circRNAs (ecRNAs), intron-derived circRNAs (ciRNAs), circRNAs containing both exons and introns (EIciRNAs) and intergenic circRNAs. A large number of studies have shown that circRNAs have a variety of biological functions, participate in the regulation of gene expression and play an important role in the occurrence and progression of tumors. In this paper, the structure and function of circRNAs are reviewed, along with their biological role in malignant tumors of the digestive tract, in order to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system neoplasms.Subject terms: Tumour biomarkers, Non-coding RNAs     

Proteomic applications in ecotoxicology

Within the growing body of proteomics studies, issues addressing problems of ecotoxicology are on the rise. Generally speaking, ecotoxicology uses quantitative expression changes of distinct proteins known to be involved in toxicological responses as biomarkers. Unlike these directed approaches, proteomics examines how multiple expression changes are associated with a contamination that is suspected to be detrimental. Consequently, proteins involved in toxicological responses that have not been described previously may be revealed. Following identification of key proteins indicating exposure or effect, proteomics can potentially be employed in environmental risk assessment. To this end, bioinformatics may unveil protein patterns specific to an environmental stress that would constitute a classifier able to distinguish an exposure from a control state. The combined use of sets of marker proteins associated with a given pollution impact may prove to be more reliable, as they are based not only on a few unique markers which are measured independently, but reflect the complexity of a toxicological response. Such a proteomic pattern might also integrate some of the already established biomarkers of environmental toxicity. Proteomics applications in ecotoxicology may also comprise functional examination of known classes of proteins, such as glutathione transferases or metallothioneins, to elucidate their toxicological responses.     

环状RNA的生物学功能及其在肿瘤发生中的作用

近年来,随着RNA研究技术的进步,研究者们在多种生物中发现了数量众多的环状RNA,且发现它们具有重要的生物学功能。环状RNA来源于内含子或外显子,可以充当微小RNA海绵,还能与蛋白质相结合,从而参与基因表达调控并影响蛋白质的功能,此外,个别环状RNA甚至能编码蛋白质。更重要的是,环状RNA在肿瘤(如:胃癌、肝癌、结直肠癌、乳腺癌、宫颈癌和卵巢癌等)的发生和发展过程中起着重要的调控作用。因此,环状RNA有希望成为肿瘤诊断的标志物和治疗的新靶点。