小分子RNA在植物激素信号通路中的调控功能

植物激素是调控植物生长发育的信号分子。近年来的研究发现,小分子RNA作为基因表达调控网络的组分,参与植物激素信号途径,在植物生长发育和胁迫反应方面发挥重要作用。本文综述了miRNA和次级siRNA(Short interfering RNAs)介导的基因调控与植物激素信号通路相互作用的研究进展,主要包括生长素、赤霉素、油菜素内酯和脱落酸途径涉及的miRNA及其功能,并对不同发育过程中miRNA参与的不同激素信号通路的交叉和互作进行了讨论。     

植物非编码RNA的研究进展

非编码RNA(non-coding RNA, ncRNA)是一类广泛存在于多种生物体中,缺乏明确的开放阅读框,不编码蛋白质的RNA分子.目前已从部分植物中分离到一些ncRNA,它们直接以RNA分子的形式在植物体内发挥重要的调节功能,影响细胞分化和个体发育、基因转录调控、mRNA稳定性、RNA加工与修饰、信号传导、以及环境适应调节等.植物ncRNA的研究为深入了解植物的生长发育及系统进化提供了重要信息.     

RNA沉默信号分子研究进展

RNA沉默是一种由21．26nt RNA分子介导的真核生物体内普遍存在的以序列特定性行为抑制基因表达的保守途径。RNA沉默最显著的特征在于它是一种非细胞自发的过程,即在植物和小杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）中RNA沉默均能被局部诱导,随后将沉默状态传导至整个生物体。RNA沉默的系统传导特性表明,RNA沉默途径中存在着可移动的信号分子。就RNA沉默信号传导的特征和可能的信号分子等做一综述。     

MiRNA在TLR信号通路中的负性调控作用

TLR信号是生物体重要的病原体模式识别信号,在免疫识别和炎症反应中具有重要作用,其信号异常会导致许多免疫和炎症相关疾病的发生,因此探讨和明确TLR信号通路的调控机制具有非常重要的意义。近年来研究发现,作为重要的基因表达调控的小分子RNA,微RNA(microRNA,miRNA)能与TLR信号通路中众多靶基因mRNA的3’UTR区结合,从而抑制翻译过程或降解mRNA来发挥负性调控作用。本文就miRNA对TLR信号通路中的一些受体、信号分子、调节因子和细胞因子的负性调控作用方面进行阐述。     

植物响应低磷胁迫的功能基因组研究进展

磷对植物的生长发育起着重要的作用,但土壤有效磷含量不足已成为世界范围内制约作物产量和品质提高的重要因素。植物在遭受低磷胁迫时,体内会形成适应性机制,因此解析调控植物对低磷胁迫适应性的分子机制也成为科学领域的一大热点。从功能基因组的角度,包括磷胁迫诱导的差异基因表达谱、差异基因的功能类别、基因调控网络、非编码RNA以及植物激素参与的植物耐低磷调控机制等方面综述了近年来植物响应低磷胁迫的分子机制。     

RNA干扰的研究进展

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是一种由双链RNA诱发的转录后水平的基因沉默现象,是近几年发展起来的基因表达调节新机制。RNAi广泛存在于真菌、植物和动物中,这种调控可以由siRNA、shRNA及miRNA等小分子RNA参与。在此主要对RNAi的研究进展如背景、分子调控机制、存在的问题和应用前景等进行了综述。     

MiRNA调控IGFBPs参与肿瘤发生的研究进展

作为一类广泛存在于真核细胞中的RNA分子，微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)在生物体内的基因表达调控、生长发育等基本生命过程中发挥着不可替代的重要作用，与人类疾病密切相关。胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白(insulin-like growth factor binding proteins,IGFBPs)是一类结合和调节胰岛素样生长因子(insulin-like growth factor,IGF)生物活性的蛋白质，在肿瘤中通过IGF依赖或非依赖的机制扮演着至关重要的角色。在肿瘤中，IGFBPs和mi RNA的异常表达与肿瘤细胞的增殖、侵袭和转移等生物学行为密切相关。IGFBPs能够作为mi RNA的直接靶因或者下游信号分子，参与多种疾病的发生与发展。该文总结了mi RNA在脑、胃肠道、肝胆、妇科等多种肿瘤性疾病中对IGFBPs的调控作用，以期为相关疾病的临床诊断、预后生物标志物或治疗靶点等的探索提供全面、专业的参考。     

非编码RNA与基因表达调控

近年来,随着对基因组的深入研究,发现真核生物中存在许多形态和功能各异的非编码RNA分子,这类RNA分子并不表达蛋白质,但它们在基因转录水平、转录后水平及翻译水平起了重要的调控作用。具有调控作用的RNA分子种类非常丰富,如长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)、miRNA、PIWI相互作用RNA(PIWI-interacting RNA,piRNA)、内源性小干扰RNA(endogenous small interfering RNA,endo-siRNA)、竞争性内源RNA(competitive endogenous RNA,ceRNA)等,它们使基因表达过程更为丰富、严谨和有序。本文综述几类典型的非编码RNA对基因表达的调节作用,以助于理解细胞中RNA分子调节网络的功能和机制。     

富含多糖猕猴桃果实组织中总RNA提取方法的改进

ImprovementofMethodforExtractingTotalRNAfromKiwifruitTissueWithRichPolysaccharidesChENKun-Song,XUChang-JieZHANGShang-Long(DepartmentofHorticultrue,ZHejiangAgriculturalUniversity)Hangzhou310029)植物生长发育是一系列基因表达的结果,而这些基因的表达可为外界环境信号或内部因子如植物生长调节物质等所启动。分离和提纯植物体内的总RNA,并用之合成cDNA,进行Nolthern杂交和蛋白质体外翻译试验等,是从分子水平揭示植物生长发育规律的重要试验手段之一。有关植物组织RNA的提取方法已有不少报道[1～7]。但…     

RNA干扰的应用及其意义

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是指双链RNA诱导同源mRNA降解从而导致基因表达抑制的现象,其效应分子是一种短片段双链RNA分子,被称为小分子干扰RNA。RNAi技术作为新兴的基因表达抑制方法,在功能基因组学、基因表达调控、基因治疗等领域得到了广泛应用。并将极大促进当前生物科学研究的发展。     

When one is better than two: RNA with dual functions

The central dogma of biology, until not long ago, held that genetic information stored on DNA molecules was translated into the final protein products through RNA as intermediate molecules. Then, an additional level of complexity in the regulation of genome expression was added, implicating new classes of RNA molecules called non-coding RNA (ncRNA). These ncRNA are also often referred to as functional RNA in that, although they do not contain the capacity to encode proteins, do have a function as RNA molecules. They have been thus far considered as truly non-coding RNA since no ORF long enough to be considered, nor protein, have been associated with them. However, the recent identification and characterization of bifunctional RNA, i.e. RNA for which both coding capacity and activity as functional RNA have been reported, suggests that a definite categorization of some RNA molecules is far from being straightforward.Indeed, several RNA primarily classified as non-protein-coding RNA has been showed to hold coding capacities and associated peptides. Conversely, mRNA, usually regarded as strictly protein-coding, may act as functional RNA molecules. Here, we describe several examples of these bifunctional RNA that have been already characterized from bacteria to mammals. We also extend this concept to fortuitous acquisition of dual function in pathological conditions and to the recently highlighted duality between information carried by a gene and its pseudogenes counterparts.     

Two ways of escaping from oxidative RNA damage: Selective degradation and cell death

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during normal cellular metabolism, and various oxidized compounds are formed by the ROS attack. Among oxidized bases, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) is most abundant and seems important with respect to the maintenance and transfer of genetic information. The accumulation of 8-oxoG in messenger RNA may cause errors during codon-anticodon pairing in the translation process, which may result in the synthesis of abnormal proteins. Organisms that use oxygen as the source of energy production must therefore have some mechanisms to eliminate the deleterious effects of RNA oxidation. Recently, we found two protein factors, AUF1 and PCBP1, which each have a different binding capacity to oxidized RNA. Evidence demonstrated that AUF1 is involved in the specific degradation of oxidized RNA, and that PCBP1 has a function of inducing cell death to eliminate severely damaged RNA.     

Experimental Evidence That GNA and TNA Were Not Sequential Polymers in the Prebiotic Evolution of RNA

Systematic investigation into the chemical etiology of ribose has led to the discovery of glycerol nucleic acid (GNA) and threose nucleic acid (TNA) as possible progenitor candidates of RNA in the origins of life. Coupled with their chemical simplicity, polymers for both systems are capable of forming stable Watson-Crick antiparallel duplex structures with themselves and RNA, thereby providing a mechanism for the transfer of genetic information between successive genetic systems. Investigation into whether both polymers arose independently or descended from a common evolutionary pathway would provide additional constraints on models that describe the emergence of a hypothetical RNA world. Here we show by thermal denaturation that complementary GNA and TNA mixed sequence polymers are unable, even after prolonged incubation times, to adopt stable helical structures by intersystem cross-pairing. This experimental observation suggests that GNA and TNA, whose structures derive from one another, were not consecutive polymers in the same evolutionary pathway to RNA. Reviewing Editor: Dr. Niles Lehman     

Initial evidence of functional siRNA machinery in dinoflagellates

Dinoflagellates are a major group of protists widely distributed in the aquatic environments. Many species in this lineage are able to form harmful algal blooms (HAB), some even producing toxins, making this phylum the most important contributors of HAB in the marine ecosystem. Despite the ecological importance, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the basic biology and HAB formation of dinoflagellates are poorly understood. While the high-throughput sequencing studies have documented a large and growing number of genes in dinoflagellates, their functions remained to be experimentally proven using a functional genetic tool. Unfortunately, no such tool is yet available. This study was aimed to adopt the RNA interference (RNAi) gene-silencing tool for dinoflagellate research, and to investigate the potential effects of RNAi-based silencing of proton-pump rhodopsin and CO₂-fixing enzyme Rubisco encoding genes in dinoflagellates. It was found that RNAi treatment caused a significant decrease in growth rate in both species. Compared with the non- endogenous target (GFP-siRNA) and the blank control, RNAi treatments also suppressed the expression of the target genes. These results constitute the first experimental evidence of the existence and operation of siRNA in two species of dinoflagellates, present initial evidence that dinoflagellate rhodopsins are functional as a supplemental energy acquisition mechanism, and provide technical information for future functional genetic research on dinoflagellates.     

Analysis of Subcellularly Localized mRNAs Using in Situ Hybridization,mRNA Amplification,and Expression Profiling

Targeting of mRNAs to distinct subcellular regions occurs in all polarized cells. The mechanisms by which RNA transport occurs are poorly understood. With the advent of RNA amplification methodologies and expression profiling it is now possible to catalogue the RNAs that are targeted to particular subcellular regions. In particular, neurons are polarized cells in which dendrites receive signals from presynaptic neurons. Upon stimulation (information receipt) the dendrite processes the information such that an immediate dendritic response is generated as well as a longer-term somatic response. The integrated cellular response results in a signal that can be propagated through the axon to the next post-synaptic neuron. Much previous work has shown that mRNAs can be localized in dendrites and that local translation in dendrites can occur. In this chapter the methods for analysis of RNAs that are localized to dendrites are reviewed and a partial list of dendritically localized RNAs is presented. This information may be useful in identifying RNA regulatory regions that are responsible for specifying rate of RNA transport and the dendritic sites at which targeted RNAs dock so that they can be translated.     

Drawbacks of the ancient RNA-based life-like system under primitive earth conditions

Following the discovery of ribozymes, the “RNA world” hypothesis has become the most accepted hypothesis concerning the origin of life and genetic information. However, this hypothesis has several drawbacks. Verification of the hypothesis from different viewpoints led us to proposals from the viewpoint of the hydrothermal origin of life, solubility of RNA and related biopolymers, and the possibility of creating an evolutionary system comparable to the in vitro selection technique for functional RNA molecules based on molecular biology.     

The chemical versatility of RNA

The ability of RNA to both store genetic information and catalyse chemical reactions has led to the hypothesis that it predates DNA and proteins. While there is no doubt that RNA is capable of storing the genetic information of a primitive organism, only two classes of reactions-phosphoryl transfer and peptide bond formation-have been observed to be catalysed by RNA in nature. However, these naturally occurring ribozymes use a wide range of catalytic strategies that could be applied to other reactions. Furthermore, RNA can bind several cofactors that are used by protein enzymes to facilitate a wide variety of chemical processes. Despite its limited functional groups, these observations indicate RNA is a versatile molecule that could, in principle, catalyse the myriad reactions necessary to sustain life.     

酵母发酵法制备核糖核酸研究进展

核糖核酸（RNA）是一种遗传物质,参与细胞蛋白质合成和免疫调节等生理活动。RNA及其降解物在药物开发、保健品和食品添加剂等领域具有良好的应用前景。利用富含RNA的酵母发酵提取RNA是生产RNA的有效途径。概述了酵母发酵法制备RNA的进展及其应用。     

RNA editing in trypanosomes

Guide RNAs are encoded in maxicircle and minicircle DNA of trypanosome mitochondria. They play a pivotal role in RNA editing, a process during which the nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial RNAs is altered by U-insertion and deletion. Guide RNAs vary in length from 35 to 78 nucleotides, which correlates with the variation in length of the three functionally important regions of which they are composed: (i) a 4–14 nucleotide anchor sequence embedded in the 5 region, which is complementary to a target sequence on the pre-edited RNA downstream of an editing domain, (ii) a middle part containing the editing information, which ranges from guiding the insertion of just one U into one site to that of the insertion of 32 Us into 10 sites, and (iii) a 5–24 nucleotide 3 terminal oligo [U] extension. Moreover, a variable uridylation site creates gRNAs containing a varying segment of editing information for the same domain. Comparison of different guide RNAs demonstrates that, besides the U-tail, they have no obvious common primary and secondary sequence motifs, each particular sequence being unique. The occurrence in vivo and the synthesis in vitro of chimeric molecules, in which a guide RNA is covalently linked through its 3 U-tail to an editing site of a pre-edited RNA, suggests that RNA editing occurs by consecutive transesterification reactions and is evidence that the guide RNAs not only provide the genetic information, but also the Us themselves.Abbreviations gRNA guide RNA