microRNA与心脏疾病

microRNA是植物和动物基因组编码的小分子非编码RNA.这种高度保守、长21～25个碱基RNA分子通过与mRNA的3'非编码区结合来调控基因组表达.microRNA通过其转录后调控机制在胚胎发育、细胞增殖,细胞分化、细胞死亡及细胞凋亡中发挥调控作用.近期研究发现,microRNA的异常表达可导致心脏疾病的发生、发展.现对microRNA在心脏发育、心肌肥厚和心肌重构、心力衰竭和心律失常等过程中的作用进行综述.     

小RNA与蛋白质的相互作用

小分子调控RNA,包括siRNA（small interfering RNA）、miRNA（microRNA）和piRNA（piwiinteracting RNA）、hsRNA（heterochromatin associatedsmall RNA）等,是当前生命科学研究的前沿热点。越来越多的证据表明,这些小分子RNA存在于几乎所有较高等的真核生物细胞中,对生物体具有非常重要的调控功能。它们通过各种序列特异性的RNA基因沉默作用,包括RNA干扰（RNAi）、翻译抑制、异染色质形成等,调控诸如生长发育、应激反应、沉默转座子等各种各样的细胞进程。随着对这些小分子调控RNA的发现,一些RNascⅢ酶家族成员、Argonaute蛋白质家族成员及RNA结合蛋白质等先后被鉴定为小RNA的胞内蛋白质合作者,参与小RNA的加工成熟和在细胞内行使功能。本综述简介一些RNA沉默作用途径中重要组分的结构和功能的研究进展。     

microRNA对细胞自噬调节

细胞自噬是细胞内高度保守的细胞自我消化和分解代谢过程,细胞内变性蛋白、衰老和受损的细胞器被转运到溶酶体降解. 自噬过程失调引起多种疾病,包括感染、衰老、神经退行性疾病、癌症和心脏疾病等,因此,自噬过程需要非常精确的调控. MicroRNA是一类在基因转录后水平调控目的基因的功能性小RNA分子.研究发现,microRNA可以通过RNA干扰（RNA interference, RNAi）途径调控某些自噬相关基因(autophagy related gene, ATG)及其调节因子.这些microRNA表达异常足以影响自噬水平,使得microRNA成为自噬研究的新视角,同时也使microRNA成为治疗自噬失调引起的疾病的潜在靶点.本文将对有关microRNA参与细胞自噬调控的最新研究动态进行综述.     

MicroRNAs在棕色脂肪细胞分化过程中的作用

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一种非编码的小分子RNA,负性调控转录后基因表达。miRNA在个体时序性发育、细胞增殖分化和凋亡、器官发育、脂肪代谢等许多生物发育过程中起着重要作用。近年来对miRNA的研究证实,miRNA直接或间接影响棕色脂肪组织发育过程中重要转录因子的表达。综述了miRNA调节棕色脂肪细胞分化的最新研究进展。     

miRNA与细胞分化的研究进展

microRNA(miRNA)是一类长度为22nt的内源性的参与转录后调节的单链非编码小RNA。近年来的研究表明,miRNA在基因表达调控方面具有广泛和普遍的作用,参与了生物体发生发育、细胞增殖、细胞分化等生物学过程,尤其是其在干细胞的自我更新与多向分化的调节作用日益受到关注。我们查阅近年有关文献,介绍了miRNA的生成、作用机制、研究方法,论述及其对真核生物细胞分化的调控作用。     

KLF转录因子家族与脂肪细胞分化

Kruppel样转录因子（Kruppel-like factors, KLF）是一类具有锌指结构的转录因子,其典型结构特征是在其羧基端具有3个C2H2锌指结构. KLF广泛参与细胞增殖、凋亡、分化以及胚胎发育等多个生命活动的调控. 近年来脂肪细胞分化研究的结果显示,KLF家族的多个成员参与脂肪细胞分化过程的调控,既有促进脂肪细胞分化的,也有抑制脂肪细胞分化的. 其中KLF4通过与Krox20协同作用,激活C/EBPβ（CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein β）基因表达,促进脂肪细胞分化;KLF5和 KLF15都通过直接结合到氧化物酶增殖体激活受体γ（peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, PPARγ）基因的启动子,激活PPARγ基因表达,促进脂肪细胞分化;而KLF6则通过抑制前脂肪细胞因子（pre-adipocyte factor 1, PREF1）基因表达,促进脂肪细胞分化. 抑制脂肪细胞分化的KLF2通过结合于PPARγ的启动子,抑制PPARγ基因表达,从而抑制脂肪细胞的分化;KLF3通过募集辅助抑制因子C-末端结合蛋白（c-terminal binding protein, CtBP）形成KLF3 CtBP抑制复合体,结合于C/EBPα（CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α）基因的启动子,抑制C/EBPα表达,进而抑制脂肪细胞的分化;KLF7通过抑制葡萄糖转运蛋白2（glucose transporter2,GLUT2）基因的表达抑制脂肪细胞的成熟. 本文综述这些KLF转录因子在脂肪细胞分化过程的作用及其作用的机制.     

MicroRNA调控动物脂肪细胞分化研究进展

脂肪组织不仅在维持机体能量代谢和稳态上发挥重要作用,同时也是重要的内分泌器官。脂肪细胞分化是由间充质干细胞(Mesenchymal stem cells, MSC)向成熟脂肪细胞分化的复杂生理过程,该过程由大量转录因子、激素、信号通路分子协同调控。miRNA作为内源性非编码RNA,主要通过抑制转录后翻译等机制来调控基因表达。近年来越来越多的证据表明miRNA通过调控脂肪细胞分化相关的转录因子和重要信号分子进而影响动物脂肪细胞的分化和脂肪形成。本文对miRNA影响动物白色、棕色和米色脂肪细胞分化的作用机制及其相关调控通路和关键因子进行了归纳总结,以期为肥胖等代谢性疾病的治疗提供一定的理论指导和新的治疗思路。     

长链非编码RNA在神经系统发育及神经性疾病中的作用

长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)是一类转录本长度在200至数千个核苷酸序列,且不具有蛋白质编码潜能的非编码RNA。相较于研究较多的微小RNA（microRNA,miRNA）和干扰小RNA（small interfering,siRNA）等非编码小RNA,lncRNA的许多功能仍尚不清楚。但越来越多的研究发现,lncRNA可通过多种方式调控中枢神经系统发育,包括表观遗传组蛋白甲基化、转录辅因子调控、可变剪接调控等途经。而以上途经的异常均与多种人类重大疾病的发生密切相关,例如,阿尔兹海默症（Alzheimer’s disease,AD）、自闭症（autism spectrum disorder,ASD）、精神分裂症（schizophrenia,SZ）等。本文就lncRNA在表观遗传水平、转录水平、转录后水平和翻译水平上调控神经系统发育以及其在人类神经性疾病中的作用进行综述。     

MicroRNA调控动物脂肪细胞的分化

MicroRNA (miRNA)属于非编码小调节RNA,在动物细胞的增殖、分化、凋亡和代谢等许多生物学过程中具重要作用.研究显示大量miRNA也参与动物脂肪细胞的分化调节,在前体脂肪细胞向成熟脂肪细胞的分化过程中具有多种功能.目前的研究结果表明,这些miRNA在脂肪细胞分化的早期或后期通过其靶基因发挥功能,如miR-17-92和miR-143分别通过其靶基因Rb 2/p 130和ERK 5/BMK 1调节脂肪细胞分化,过表达可促进体外培养的脂肪细胞分化.因此,了解更多miRNA在脂肪细胞分化中的功能,可以加深对动物脂肪形成分子机制的理解,并有可能将其作为脂类代谢性疾病治疗的潜在靶点.     

白色脂肪棕色化调控途径的研究进展

肥胖及其代谢综合征已成为危害人类健康的公共卫生问题,因此,安全有效的减脂方式成为当今医学研究的热点之一。白色脂肪棕色化概念的提出,开辟了减肥的新方向。研究发现过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体(PPARs)、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ共激活因子1α(PGC-1α)和锌指蛋白16(PRDM16)在白色脂肪棕色化的过程中发挥核心转录调控作用。内分泌调节、神经调节都通过这些蛋白调控脂肪棕色化的功能,另外,越来越多的micro RNA也被证实参与其中。因此,相关调控机理的探讨,有望为肥胖、糖尿病等代谢性疾病的预防和治疗提供新的作用靶点。     

调控褐色脂肪细胞分化的microRNAs

MicroRNA(miRNA)是近年来在真核生物中发现的一类长约22nt的内源性非编码RNA,在动物中主要通过抑制靶mRNA翻译,在转录后水平调控基因表达。动物体内有两种类型的脂肪组织：褐色和白色脂肪,白色脂肪以甘油三脂形式贮存能量,而褐色脂肪利用甘油三酯产生能量。褐色脂肪因其对肥胖的拮抗作用而对研究肥胖等代谢疾病具有重要意义,大量研究表明miRNA在褐色脂肪细胞分化中扮演着重要角色,其自身也受到多种转录因子和环境因子调控,这个复杂的调控网络维持了体内脂肪组织稳态。文章主要综述了miRNA在褐色脂肪细胞分化中的最新研究进展,以期为利用miRNA进行肥胖、糖尿病等相关疾病及其并发症的治疗提供新思路。     

脂肪组织中的miRNAs研究进展

miRNA是近年来发现的一类长约22 nt的内源性非编码RNA,在动物中主要通过抑制靶mRNA翻译,在转录后水平调控基因表达。大量研究表明脂肪组织中的miRNAs参与了脂肪细胞分化、脂代谢等多种生物过程调控,其自身也受到转录因子、脂肪细胞因子和环境因子等调控,这些复杂的相互作用关系构成了脂肪组织中miRNA的调控网络,循环miRNA的发现为这个网络加入了新元素。对肥胖等代谢疾病的研究,应该从这个复杂的动态网络中寻找答案。文中综述了脂肪组织中miRNA的最新研究进展,以期为利用miRNA进行肥胖等相关代谢失调疾病的治疗提供新思路。     

MicroRNAs: Emerging roles in adipogenesis and obesity

Obesity is a serious health problem worldwide associated with an increased risk of life-threatening diseases such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and certain types of cancer. Understanding the molecular basis of adipogenesis and fat cell development in obesity is essential to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the development of anti-obesity drugs. Recent computational and experimental studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) appear to play regulatory roles in many biological processes associated with obesity, including adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism. In addition, many miRNAs are dysregulated in metabolic tissues from obese animals and humans, which potentially contributes to the pathogenesis of obesity-associated complications. The discovery of circulating miRNAs has highlighted their potential as both endocrine signaling molecules and disease markers. The potential of miRNA based therapeutics targeting obesity is highlighted as well as recommendations for future research which could lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of obesity.     

Autotaxin and its product lysophosphatidic acid suppress brown adipose differentiation and promote diet-induced obesity in mice

Brown adipose tissue is a thermogenic organ that dissipates stored energy as heat to maintain body temperature. This process may also provide protection from development of diet-induced obesity. We report that the bioactive lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) markedly decreases differentiation of cultured primary brown adipocyte precursors, whereas potent selective inhibitors of the LPA-generating enzyme autotaxin (ATX) promote differentiation. Transgenic mice overexpressing ATX exhibit reduced expression of brown adipose tissue-related genes in peripheral white adipose tissue and accumulate significantly more fat than wild-type controls when fed a high-fat diet. Our results indicate that ATX and its product LPA are physiologically relevant negative regulators of brown fat adipogenesis and are consistent with a model in which a decrease in mature peripheral brown adipose tissue results in increased susceptibility to diet-induced obesity in mice.     

MicroRNAs: a new class of regulatory genes affecting metabolism

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to target mRNAs, which leads to reduced protein synthesis and sometimes decreased steady-state mRNA levels. Although hundreds of miRNAs have been identified, much less is known about their biological function. Several studies have provided evidence that miRNAs affect pathways that are fundamental for metabolic control in higher organisms such as adipocyte and skeletal muscle differentiation. Furthermore, some miRNAs have been implicated in lipid, amino acid, and glucose homeostasis. These studies open the possibility that miRNAs may contribute to common metabolic diseases and point to novel therapeutic opportunities based on targeting of miRNAs.     

microRNAs in the regulation of adipogenesis and obesity

Worldwide obesity is a growing health problem, associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Understanding the molecular basis of adipogenesis and fat cell development in obesity is essential to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the development of anti-obesity drugs. microRNAs (miRNAs) appear to play regulatory roles in many biological processes associated with obesity, including adipocyte differentiation, insulin action and fat metabolism. Recent studies show miRNAs are dysregulated in obese adipose tissue. During adipogenesis miRNAs can accelerate or inhibit adipocyte differentiation and hence regulate fat cell development. In addition miRNAs may regulate adipogenic lineage commitment in multipotent stem cells and hence govern fat cell numbers. Recent findings suggest miR-519d may be associated with human obesity, but larger case-control studies are needed. Few miRNA targets have been experimentally validated in adipocytes but interestingly both miR-27 and miR-519d target PPAR family members, which are well established regulators of fat cell development. In this review recent advances in our understanding of the role of miRNAs in fat cell development and obesity are discussed. The potential of miRNA based therapeutics targeting obesity is highlighted as well as recommendations for future research which could lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of obesity.