长链非编码RNA通过细胞核高级结构调控真核基因表达及其临床意义

长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA, lncRNA)是一类转录本长度超过200nt、不编码蛋白质的RNA。近年来,随着染色质构象捕获及转录组测序等技术的发展,lncRNA与染色质构象间的关系越来越受到重视。多项研究表明,lncRNA在基因调控网络中具有重要的作用,可通过影响细胞核高级结构的动态变化来调控真核基因的表达。因其广泛的基因调控功能及在肿瘤发生过程中的重要作用,lncRNA被认为是未来肿瘤临床诊断和预后判定的新型标志物之一。本文旨在介绍lncRNA改变细胞核高级结构从而调控关键基因表达的分子机制,并详细介绍lncRNA在肿瘤治疗中的临床意义。     

长链非编码RNA数据库资源

长链非编码RNA（long non coding RNA, lncRNA)在多个水平参与调节机体的各项基础生物进程,其功能紊乱常伴随疾病的发生。鉴定lncRNA的生物学功能已成为近年来的研究热点。然而,目前从各种真核生物高通量测序中鉴定的几十万个lncRNA中,只有极少数的功能已被实验验证,这对于该领域的深入研究是个巨大的挑战。因此,许多科研机构都建立了lncRNA数据库,并且持续周期性更新,这为研究者共享、注释和分析lncRNA功能提供了十分有效的工具。本文从lncRNA原始资源整合、筛选、鉴定及功能分析和lncRNA与人类疾病等4个方面介绍各lncRNA数据库资源的最新特征和应用范围。这为研究者在选择不同数据库资源进行lncRNA鉴定和分析时提供参考。     

人NFE2基因上游增强子lncRNA调控NFE2基因转录和K562细胞增殖

目的 转录因子NFE2的异常表达在许多骨髓增殖性肿瘤患者中被观察到,然而造成这种异常的转录调控机制尚不明确,本研究旨在探究参与NFE2转录调控的元件和分子机制。方法 首先通过公共数据库中ChIP-seq数据和ATAC-seq数据预测NFE2基因的潜在增强子元件,并通过双荧光素酶报告实验进行体外验证。随后,通过PRO-seq和GRO-seq数据结合RACE技术克隆这些增强子RNA转录本,经在线编码潜能预测工具分析认为其为lncRNA,通过RT-qPCR检测该lncRNA在不同白血病细胞系中和这些细胞诱导分化前后的表达变化及其亚细胞定位。最后,通过慢病毒系统在K562细胞中过表达和敲降该lncRNA以探究其功能。结果 鉴定出调控NFE2转录的3个增强子元件,分别位于NFE2转录起始位点-3.6k,-6.2k和+6.3k区域,这些元件插入NFE2启动子上游均能增强下游萤火虫荧光素酶的表达。克隆出-3.6k增强子负链方向的转录本,将其鉴定为-3.6k-lncRNA。本研究发现,该lncRNA在K562、U937和HL-60这3种白血病细胞系中均有一定程度的表达,且均定位于细胞核内。当该lncRNA在K562细胞中过表达,NFE2水平随之提高,细胞增殖和细胞迁移能力受到抑制;当其被敲降时,NFE2水平相应降低而K562细胞增殖能力随之升高。结论 本文鉴定了调控人NFE2基因转录的3个增强子元件和一条增强子lncRNA转录本,并验证了该lncRNA对NFE2转录的正调控作用以及对K562细胞增殖能力具有抑制作用。     

DNA损伤诱导的长链非编码RNA-UCA1促进HeLa细胞增殖

尿路上皮癌抗原1 (UCA1)是一种长链非编码RNA,在多种肿瘤内高表达.然而,其在宫颈癌细胞和组织中的表达报告颇不一致,且功能尚未确定.本文探索UCA1在宫颈癌HeLa细胞中的生物学功能.实时定量PCR（qRT-PCR）结果显示,UCA1、p21和p53 mRNA在阿霉素（doxorubicin,DOX）或γ射线照射的HeLa细胞中表达上调|相反,敲减p53表达则可抑制DOX诱导的UCA1上调.表明DNA损伤诱导的UCA1可能与p53有关.转染结合CCK8检测HeLa细胞增殖活力结果显示,与对照比较,过表达UCA1促进HeLa细胞增殖,干扰UCA1表达则减缓细胞增殖.此外,流式细胞术结果显示,过表达UCA1导致阿霉素诱导的凋亡率下降;siRNA抑制UCA1表达后引起细胞G2/M期比例上升,S期下降,且阿霉素诱导的细胞凋亡率上升.上述结果说明,DNA损伤诱导的UCA1可促进HeLa细胞增殖,减少细胞凋亡.然而,是否DNA损伤诱导的UCA1上调依赖p53尚需进一步实验证明.     

Nuclear retention of the lncRNA SNHG1 by doxorubicin attenuates hnRNPC–p53 protein interactions

The protein p53 plays a crucial role in the regulation of cellular responses to diverse stresses. Thus, a major priority in cell biology is to define the mechanisms that regulate p53 activity in response to stresses or maintain it at basal levels under normal conditions. Moreover, further investigation is required to establish whether RNA participates in regulating p53's interaction with other proteins. Here, by conducting systematic experiments, we discovered a p53 interactor—hnRNPC—that directly binds to p53, destabilizes it, and prevents its activation under normal conditions. Upon doxorubicin treatment, the lncRNA SNHG1 is retained in the nucleus through its binding with nucleolin and it competes with p53 for hnRNPC binding, which upregulates p53 levels and promotes p53‐dependent apoptosis by impairing hnRNPC regulation of p53 activity. Our results indicate that a balance between lncRNA SNHG1 and hnRNPC regulates p53 activity and p53‐dependent apoptosis upon doxorubicin treatment, and further indicate that a change in lncRNA subcellular localization under specific circumstances is biologically significant.     

非编码RNA与细胞自噬调控

细胞自噬是真核生物细胞中高度保守的重要代谢途径。该途径是将细胞内有害或不需要的大分子分解并回收,从而使细胞在生长或环境改变导致的应激和压力条件下获得生存优势。近年越来越多的证据表明,非编码RNA,包括微RNA(microRNA,miRNA)和长非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lncRNA),在自噬过程中发挥了重要的作用。本文综述了miRNA和lncRNA在多种细胞环境中对细胞自噬的调控机制,并讨论了这些自噬相关的非编码RNA在疾病分子诊断、分类和预后中的作用,及其作为疾病治疗靶标的可能性。     

Identification of a novel MTOR activator and discovery of a competing endogenous RNA regulating autophagy in vascular endothelial cells

MTOR, a central regulator of autophagy, is involved in cancer and cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Modulating the MTOR signaling balance could be of great significance for numerous diseases. No chemical activators of MTOR have been found, and the urgent challenge is to find novel MTOR downstream components. In previous studies, we found a chemical small molecule, 3-benzyl-5-((2-nitrophenoxy) methyl)–dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (3BDO), that inhibited autophagy in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and neuronal cells. Here, we found that 3BDO activated MTOR by targeting FKBP1A (FK506-binding protein 1A, 12 kDa). We next used 3BDO to detect novel factors downstream of the MTOR signaling pathway. Activation of MTOR by 3BDO increased the phosphorylation of TIA1 (TIA1 cytotoxic granule-associated RNA binding protein/T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen-1). Finally, we used gene microarray, RNA interference, RNA-ChIP assay, bioinformatics, luciferase reporter assay, and other assays and found that 3BDO greatly decreased the level of a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) derived from the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of TGFB2, known as FLJ11812. TIA1 was responsible for processing FLJ11812. Further experiments results showed that FLJ11812 could bind with MIR4459 targeting ATG13 (autophagy-related 13), and ATG13 protein level was decreased along with 3BDO-decreased FLJ11812 level. Here, we provide a new activator of MTOR, and our findings highlight the role of the lncRNA in autophagy.