玉米microRNAs及其靶基因的生物信息学预测

microRNAs (miRNAs) 是一类非编码的小分子RNA, 通过碱基互补调控靶基因的表达。鉴定和发现新的miRNAs及其靶基因, 对揭示miRNAs在基因表达调控中的作用至关重要。玉米全基因组测序工作开展较晚, 已经鉴定登记的miRNAs很少, 对靶基因的调控作用尚待解明。文章根据miRNA进化上的保守性, 以已知的植物miRNAs为探针, 与相关数据库中玉米表达序列标签(EST)和基因组序列(GSS)中的非编码序列比对, 共发现11个新的miRNA前体。虽然在序列长度和二级结构方面各有变化, 但这11个前体均可折叠形成miRNA家族的标准二级结构。通过靶基因预测, 找到其中7条miRNAs的26个靶基因, 分别编码与新陈代谢、信号转导、转录调节、跨膜运输、生物和非生物胁迫及叶绿体组装等相关的蛋白。这些miRNAs及其靶基因的鉴定, 补充了miRNA数据库的不足。     

植物pri-miRNA转录及加工过程中的重要因子

MicroRNA(miRNA)是真核生物内源的一类长度为20~24 nt的非编码小RNA,它们通过切割靶标基因mRNA或阻止其翻译在转录后水平调控基因的表达。miRNA广泛参与植物的生长发育、代谢及各类胁迫反应过程,在植物基因表达调控网络中发挥重要作用。编码miRNA的MIR基因首先经过DNA依赖的RNA聚合酶Pol II复合体转录形成pri-miRNA,之后pri-miRNA再经过DCL1加工复合体的一系列加工形成成熟的miRNA。现介绍参与植物pri-miRNA转录和加工过程的重要蛋白及其作用方式,并阐述植物miRNA在转录及转录后水平复杂且精密的调控机制。     

植物microRNA与逆境响应研究进展

MieroRNA(miRNA)是一类在生物体内普遍存在的非编码、长度约16～29 nt的小分子RNA,由内源基因编码,于转录后水平通过介导靶mRNA降解或翻译抑制调控基因表达,是真核细胞基因表达的重要调控因子.随着生物信息学与研究技术的发展,越来越多的植物miRNA得到预测和验证.逆境胁迫下,植物体诱导或下调相关miRNA表达,参与植物逆境生理调节与适应.文章综述了植物miRNA生物合成、与靶基因的作用方式,生物功能以及逆境胁迫响应miRNA,概要介绍了目前常用的miRNA研究方法.     

植物microRNA的生物信息学预测与分析

microRNAs(miRNAs)是一类广泛存在于真核生物中调控基因转录后表达的非编码小分子RNA。大量研究表明,miRNA在调节多种生物途径中起着重要的作用,采用生物信息学方法预测与分析miRNA是当前发现和鉴定植物miRNA的重要策略之一。研究内容总结了生物信息学预测植物miRNA及其靶基因的方法策略,阐述了生物信息学在植物miRNA研究中的重要作用,为今后的研究奠定了基础。     

果蝇MicroRNA研究进展

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一类大小约20~24个碱基的单链小分子非编码RNA,能够通过与靶mRNA特异性的碱基互补配对,引起靶mRNA的降解或者抑制其翻译,从而对基因进行转录后表达调控。miRNA广泛存在于动物、植物、细菌、病毒等多种生物物种中,并参与了发育调控、细胞凋亡、肿瘤发生、病原体感染等多种生物学进程。近年来对果蝇miRNA进行了鉴定与深入研究,miRNA几乎参与了果蝇生命过程中的所有重要环节,本文对果蝇miRNA的结构、作用机制及其生物学功能等研究进展进行了综述。     

microRNA——新的髓系白血病致病因子及临床标物

微RNA(MicroRNA,miRNA)是一类长18～25 nt的非编码RNA,主要通过与靶基因mRNA3'UTR上的互补区域结合后在转录后水平(RNA切割或翻译抑制)负性调控靶基因的表达.现已发现,miRNA参与了多种正常细胞过程以及肿瘤发生的调控.miRNA也在造血链系分化和相关白血病中发挥重要作用.急性髓系白血病...     

病毒microRNA研究进展

microRNA(miRNA)是一类存在于多细胞生物中长约21-24nt的非编码RNA分子,它们与靶mRNA分子互补结合抑制蛋白翻译或导致mRNA降解,从而调控靶基因表达。miRNA已被证实在多种代谢途径中发挥重要作用,调节包括细胞分化和分裂、细胞凋亡及癌症发生在内的多个细胞过程。利用生物信息学以及分子克隆的方法在线虫、哺乳动物以及植物中已发现超过4000条miRNA。最近在病毒中也发现有miRNA基因存在,通过对病毒miRNA靶基因的预测,推测其在病毒复制过程中发挥重要的调控作用。目前病毒编码的miRNA分子的特点、转录机制、功能、进化保守性以及病毒与宿主miRNA的关系都已有一定的了解。对于病毒相关miRNA研究的深入,必将对认识病毒-宿主相互作用以及相关疾病的治疗带来新的启示。     

辐射相关microRNA研究进展

microRNA(miRNA)是一类由内源基因编码的长度约22核苷酸的非编码单链RNA分子,主要以碱基互补方式与靶基因mRNA的3'非翻译区特异性结合,通过降解mRNA或抑制蛋白翻译合成而实现对靶基因的转录后调控。研究发现,miRNA在电离辐射诱导的生物学反应中发挥重要作用。我们从以下层面概述辐射相关miRNA的研究进展,即辐射调节miRNA表达、miRNA对辐射后DNA损伤的调节、miRNA参与的辐射生物学效应。     

miRNA对水稻生长发育的调控

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一类小的非编码RNA,它们主要在转录后水平对靶mRNA进行切割或抑制mRNA的翻译来调控基因的表达. miRNA通过对靶基因的调控参与植物的生长发育、胁迫应答和代谢过程.在水稻中,已经发现并初步验证了许多与生长发育相关的miRNA,它们对水稻不同器官和形态发育发挥着重要作用.本文综述了水稻miRNA的发生和调控机制、靶基因的预测,重点介绍了miRNA对水稻生长发育和形态建成的研究进展,并对研究过程中存在的问题进行了讨论.为更好地了解miRNA及其靶基因在提高水稻产量和品质方面的作用,进一步解析miRNA在水稻中的调控机制提供参考.     

miR172-AP2模块调控植物生长发育及逆境响应的研究进展

MicroRNA (miRNA)是一类具有调控能力的非编码小分子RNA, 通过与靶基因mRNA特异或非特异性结合, 诱导靶基因mRNA降解或抑制其翻译, 从而调控植物的生长发育。其中, miR172的靶基因AP2所编码的转录因子为植物所特有, miR172在转录后或翻译水平对AP2进行表达调控, 进而调控植物的花发育、时序转换、小穗形态、块茎和果实发育、结瘤(豆科)以及逆境响应等过程。该文综述了近年来miR172-AP2模块在植物生长发育调控方面的最新研究进展。     

Discovery and profiling of novel and conserved microRNAs during flower development in Carya cathayensis via deep sequencing

Hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) is an economically important woody plant in China, but its long juvenile phase delays yield. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of genes and important for normal plant development and physiology, including flower development. We used Solexa technology to sequence two small RNA libraries from two floral differentiation stages in hickory to identify miRNAs related to flower development. We identified 39 conserved miRNA sequences from 114 loci belonging to 23 families as well as two novel and ten potential novel miRNAs belonging to nine families. Moreover, 35 conserved miRNA*s and two novel miRNA*s were detected. Twenty miRNA sequences from 49 loci belonging to 11 families were differentially expressed; all were up-regulated at the later stage of flower development in hickory. Quantitative real-time PCR of 12 conserved miRNA sequences, five novel miRNA families, and two novel miRNA*s validated that all were expressed during hickory flower development, and the expression patterns were similar to those detected with Solexa sequencing. Finally, a total of 146 targets of the novel and conserved miRNAs were predicted. This study identified a diverse set of miRNAs that were closely related to hickory flower development and that could help in plant floral induction.     

Specific enrichment of miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana infected with Tobacco mosaic virus.

RNA silencing is a broadly conserved machinery and is involved in many biological events. Small RNAs are key molecules in RNA silencing pathway that guide sequence-specific gene regulations and chromatin modifications. The silencing machinery works as an anti-viral defense in virus-infected plants. It is generally accepted that virus-specific small interfering (si) RNAs bind to the viral genome and trigger its cleavage. Previously, we have cloned and obtained sequences of small RNAs from Arabidopsis thaliana infected or uninfected with crucifer Tobacco mosaic virus. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) accumulated to a higher percentage of total small RNAs in the virus-infected plants. This was partly because the viral replication protein binds to the miRNA/miRNA* duplexes. In the present study, we mapped the sequences of small RNAs other than virus-derived siRNAs to the Arabidopsis genome and assigned each small RNA. It was demonstrated that only miRNAs increased as a result of viral infection. Furthermore, some newly identified miRNAs and miRNA candidates were found from the virus-infected plants despite a limited number of examined sequences. We propose that it is advantageous to use virus-infected plants as a source for cloning and identifying new miRNAs.