RNA的尿苷化

很多RNA分子可以进行转录后修饰.最近的研究发现,末端无需模板的尿苷酸添加(尿苷化)可能就是一种广泛存在且保守,但以前了解甚少的RNA转录后修饰方式.这种修饰可以发生在从藻类到人类的很多RNA上,如多聚腺苷化的mRNA、siRNAs或miRNAs内切mRNA得到的上游片段、组蛋白mRNA、目前发现的大多数小调节RNAs、U6小核RNA(snRNA)、转录起点相关的小RNA和剪切的内含子等.这种修饰不仅具有重要的功能,如增强RNA的降解、促进或抑制RNA的加工形成、改变RNA的活性或作为mRNA的一种质量控制机制,而且还与人类的一些致病机制有关,如癌症.本文主要综述了小RNA、mRNA及其内切片段、组蛋白mRNA和U6 snRNA等RNA尿苷化的研究进展,并对相关研究的应用前景做了展望.     

真核生物mRNA上的化学修饰和基因表达调控

从1951年首个RNA修饰被发现以来,细胞内天然RNA上已有超过160种化学修饰被鉴定.早期关于RNA修饰的研究大多集中于细胞内丰度较高的转运RNA(transfer RNA,tRNA)、核糖体RNA(ribosomal RNA,rRNA)和核内小RNA(small nuclear RNA,snRNA).近年来,随着测...     

UlsnRNA及其在基因治疗中的应用

U1snRNA是一种富含尿苷酸的具有酶活性的小分子量RNA,其主要特点是剪接核内非均一性RNA成为成熟RNA,只存在于真核细胞核质中,具有在核内定位的特性,有人利用这些特性对UlsnRNA进行人工点突变来纠正某些基因缺陷病,或是构建UlsnRNA-核酶及U1snRNA-反义核酸的嵌合体来进行基因治疗研究并获得了一定成绩。     

猪组织中miR-103实时定量PCR分析时合适内参的确定

定量实时PCR是miRNA表达检测的主要方法之一,而利用合适内参对定量实时PCR数据进行校正处理是确保该方法分析准确性的关键.为了确定猪正常组织中miR-103定量实时PCR检测分析的合适内参,首先采用geNorm算法和扩增效率试验对miR-196、U6 snRNA和总RNA 3个候选内参进行了评价;然后以miR-103的绝对定量结果为对照,比较分析了3个候选内参的校正准确性．结果表明,miR-196的表达稳定性和扩增效率均优于U6 snRNA和总RNA;以miR-196为内参的miR-103相对定量结果同绝对定量结果具有较高的一致性,两者均显示miR-103在猪大脑中高丰度表达,在胃、小脑、小肠、心脏、肝脏和胰脏中适度表达,在肺、脾脏和腿肌中轻度表达.这些结果说明,miR-196可作为猪正常组织中miR-103定量实时PCR相对定量分析的一个合适内参.     

RNA修饰类型及调控蛋白

RNA修饰是指发生在RNA上的各种修饰形式。自然界中的RNA修饰广泛存在于A、U、C、G四类核苷酸上,此外,极少的RNA修饰发生在次黄嘌呤核苷(I)上。目前已经在古细菌、细菌、病毒和真核生物中发现超过140种的RNA转录后修饰形式。在各种类型的RNA修饰中,甲基化修饰占到了三分之二,这些修饰广泛存在于各种RNA类型中,包括信使RNA(mRNA)、转运RNA(tRNA)、核糖体RNA(rRNA)、核内小RNA(snRNA)、核仁小RNA(sno RNA)、微小RNA(miRNA)、小干扰RNA(siRNA)、piwi蛋白相互作用的RNA(piRNA)和长非编码RNA(lncRNA)等。现介绍主要的RNA修饰类型,并对其调控蛋白进行归纳总结。     

非编码小RNA的多样性

RNA是一类广泛存在的极其重要的生物大分子,它不仅种类繁多,而且不同种类的RNA在结构方面有着显著的差异。RNA种类和结构的多样性决定了RNA具有很多重要的生物学功能。随着对非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)研究的不断深入,ncRNAs同样呈现出前所未有的复杂性和多样性。主要介绍了tRNA、snRNA、scRNA、rRNA、siRNA、miRNA、pi RNA和nat-si RNA等两大类持家ncRNA和调控ncRNA的结构和功能,为便于了解生物体内小的非编码RNA的多样性,进一步挖掘和利用ncRNAs提供一定的参考,促使人们对RNA的认识和地位作出新的思考。     

植物中 RNA 分子系统运输的研究进展

RNA 分子主要以单链的形式存在于生物体内,既担负着贮存及转移遗传信息的作用,又能作为核酶直接在细胞内发挥代谢功能 . 在植物中 RNA 也可作为活跃的信号分子调控基因表达和发育 . 介绍了包括病毒 RNA 、 RNA 沉默信号、特异内源 RNA 等 RNA 分子,在植物体内的系统运输及其在植物基因表达调控中所起作用的研究进展 .     

植物病毒沉默抑制因子研究进展

RNA沉默是广泛存在于真菌、动物和植物中的一种特异序列降解机制.在植物中,RNA沉默是一种抵抗外界植物病毒入侵的自然机制.但是,植物病毒通常也会采取编码沉默抑制因子的相应机制来抵抗基因沉默,以便能够入侵植物.论述了主要沉默抑制因子的机制、特点和相关确认沉默抑制因子实验,并对沉默抑制因子的研究前景进行了展望.     

U7 snRNAs： A Computational Survey

U7 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) sequences have been described only for a handful of animal species in the past. Here we describe a computational search for func- tional U7 snRNA genes throughout vertebrates including the upstream sequence elements characteristic for snRNAs transcribed by polymerase Ⅱ. Based on the results of this search, we discuss the high variability of U7 snRNAs in both se- quence and structure, and report on an attempt to find U7 snRNA sequences in basal deuterostomes and non-drosophilids insect genomes based on a combination of sequence, structure, and promoter features. Due to the extremely short se- quence and the high variability in both sequence and structure, no unambiguous candidates were found. These results cast doubt on putative U7 homologs in even more distant organisms that are reported in the most recent release of the Rfam database.     

m6A甲基转移酶家族Fiona/METT-10/METTL16的功能

RNA碱基上的化学修饰在其功能的精准调节中发挥关键作用,其中m⁶A是自然界中最普遍的RNA修饰之一,且该修饰在调控RNA稳定性、pre-mRNA剪接、翻译等方面具有重要功能。在真核生物中,m⁶A修饰主要由两种甲基转移酶完成,其在哺乳动物中分别命名为METTL3和METTL16。与METTL3相似,METTL16的底物多种多样,包括pre-mRNA、rRNA、snRNA和lncRNA等,因此似乎难以用一种分子机理解释METTL16对不同RNA底物进行m⁶A修饰的功能。此外,METTL16还在翻译调控中发挥重要作用,但此过程不依赖其甲基转移酶活性,这进一步增加了高度保守的METTL16的功能复杂性。本综述总结了METTL16及其同源蛋白质的结构域、甲基化底物以及它们的潜在功能,着重阐述了在不同物种中关于METTL16研究结果的矛盾之处,并推测METTL16调控S-腺苷基甲硫氨酸(SAM)代谢的功能是趋同进化的一个潜在案例。     

U6atac snRNA,the highly divergent counterpart of U6 snRNA,is the specific target that mediates inhibition of AT-AC splicing by the influenza virus NS1 protein.

The influenza virus NS1 protein inhibits the splicing of the major class of mammalian pre-mRNAs (GU-AG Introns) by binding to a specific stem-bulge in U6 snRNA, thereby blocking the formation of U4/U6 and U2/U6 complexes. The splicing of the minor class of AT-AC introns takes place on spliceosomes that do not contain U6 snRNA, but rather U6atac snRNA-a highly divergent U6 snRNA counterpart. Nonetheless, we demonstrate that the NS1 protein inhibits AT-AC splicing in vitro, and specifically binds to only U6atac snRNA among the five minor class snRNAs. Chemical modification/interference assays show that the NS1 protein binds to the stem-bulge near the 3'' end of U6atac snRNA, encompassing nt 82-95 and nt 105-114. Although the sequence of this stem-bulge differs significantly from the sequence of the stem-bulge to which the NS1 protein binds in U6 snRNA, RNA competition experiments Indicate that U6 and U6atac snRNAs likely share the same binding site on the NS1 protein. Previously, the region of U6atac snRNA containing this 3'' stem-bulge had not been implicated in any interactions of this snRNA with either U4atac or U12 snRNA. However, as assayed by psoralen crosslinking, we show that the NS1 protein inhibits the formation of U12/U6atac complexes, but not the formation of U4atac/U6atac complexes. We can conclude that the inhibition of AT-AC splicing results largely from the inhibition of formation of U12/U6atac complexes caused by the binding of the NS1 protein to the 3'' stem-bulge of U6atac snRNA.     

U11 snRNA interacts in vivo with the 5' splice site of U12-dependent (AU-AC) pre-mRNA introns.

A notable feature of the newly described U12 snRNA-dependent class of eukaryotic nuclear pre-mRNA introns is the highly conserved 8-nt 5'' splice site sequence. This sequence is virtually invariant in all known members of this class from plants to mammals. Based on sequence complementarity between this sequence and the 5'' end of the U11 snRNA, we proposed that U11 snRNP may play a role in identifying and/or activating the 5'' splice site for splicing. Here we show that mutations of the conserved 5'' splice site sequence of a U12-dependent intron severely reduce correct splicing in vivo and that compensatory mutations in U11 snRNA can suppress the effects of the 5'' splice site mutations to varying extents. This provides evidence for a required interaction between U11 snRNA and the 5'' splice site sequence involving Watson-Crick base pairing. This data, in addition to a report that U11 snRNP is bound transiently to the U12-dependent spliceosome, suggests that U11 snRNP is the analogue of U1 snRNP in splicing this rare class of introns.     

A candidate U1 small nuclear RNA for trypanosomatid protozoa.

In trypanosomatid protozoa, all mRNAs obtain identical 5'-ends by trans-splicing of the 5'-terminal 39 nucleotides of a small spliced leader RNA to appropriate acceptor sites in pre-mRNA. Although this process involves spliceosomal small nuclear (sn) RNAs, it is thought that trypanosomatids do not contain a homolog of the cis-spliceosomal U1 snRNA. We show here that a trypanosomatid protozoon, Crithidia fasciculata, contains a novel small RNA that displays several features characteristic of a U1 snRNA, including (i) a methylguanosine cap and additional 5'-terminal modifications, (ii) a potential binding site for common core proteins that are present in other trans-spliceosomal ribonucleoproteins, (iii) a U1-like 5'-terminal sequence, and (iv) a U1-like stem/loop I structure. Because trypanosomatid pre-mRNAs do not appear to contain cis-spliced introns, we argue that this previously unrecognized RNA species is a good candidate to be a trans-spliceosomal U1 snRNA.     

Maize U2 snRNAs: gene sequence and expression.

The complexity of plant U-type small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (UsnRNPs) may represent one level at which differences in splicing between animals and plants and between monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants could be effected. The maize (monocot.) U2snRNA multigene family consists of some 25 to 40 genes which from RNA blot and RNase protection analyses produce U2snRNAs varying in both size and sequence. The first 77 nucleotides of the maize U2-27 snRNA gene are identical to U2snRNA genes of Arabidopsis (dicot). Despite much lower sequence homology in the remaining 120 nucleotides the secondary structure of the RNA is conserved. The difference in splicing between monocot. and dicot. plants cannot be explained on the basis of sequence differences between monocot, and dicot. U2snRNAs in the region which may interact with intron branch point sequences.     

Characterization of the U3 and U6 snRNA genes from wheat: U3 snRNA genes in monocot plants are transcribed by RNa polymerase III

We have demonstrated recently that the genes encoding the U3 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) in dicot plants are transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III), and not RNA polymerase II (pol II) as in all other organisms studied to date. The U3 gene was the first example of a gene transcribed by different polymerases in different organisms. Based on phylogenetic arguments we proposed that a polymerase specificity change of the U3 snRNA gene promoter occurred during plant evolution. To map such an event we are examining the U3 gene polymerase specificity in other plant species. We report here the characterization of a U3 gene from wheat, a monocot plant. This gene contains the conserved promoter elements, USE and TATA, in a pol III-specific spacing seen also in a wheat U6 snRNA gene characterized in this report. Both the U3 and the U6 genes possess typical pol III termination signals but lack the cis element, responsible for 3-end formation, found in all plant pol II-specific snRNA genes. In addition, expression of the U3 gene in transfected maize protoplasts is less sensitive to -amanitin than a pol II-transcribed U2 gene. Based on these data we conclude that the wheat U3 gene is transcribed by pol III. This observation suggests that the postulated RNA polymerase specificity switch of the U3 gene took place prior to the divergence of angiosperm plants into monocots and dicots.