竞争性内源RNA的生物学功能及其调控

最新研究表明,RNA之间可以通过竞争结合共同的microRNA反应元件(microRNA response element, MRE)实现相互调节,这种调控模式构成竞争性内源RNA(Competing endogenous RNA, ceRNA)。已发现的ceRNA包括蛋白编码mRNA和非编码RNA,其中后者包括假基因转录物、长链非编码RNA(Long non-coding RNA, lncRNA)、环状RNA(Circular RNA, circRNA)等。文章主要从ceRNA分类的角度,阐述各类ceRNA构成的调控网络发挥的生物学功能在病理和生理相关过程中的作用,以及可能影响ceRNA调控有效性的因素。     

小麦长链非编码RNA的预测及功能分析

生物体有部分基因被转录成RNA,但是不编码相应蛋白质,称为长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)。它们参与基因的表观调控,这一过程对动物、植物的生长发育都有重要作用,但是,目前植物中发现和研究的lncRNA较少。为了研究lncRNA在植物中的功能,本研究建立了基于小麦全长cDNA的lncRNA识别程序。从6162条小麦全长cDNA中发现了231条lncRNAs,并从中鉴定出两个新miRNAs,这表明lncRNAs可以通过形成miRNAs前体基因形成其功能。此外,通过序列富集分析,我们从小麦lncRNAs中鉴定出三个保守的调控元件,结果显示小麦lncRNAs可能通过和其它蛋白质或DNA等分子作用,进而参与小麦生长、发育等过程的调控,这些结果对进一步研究植物体内的lncRNA的功能和作用机制具有重要意义。     

长链非编码RNA的微RNA海绵作用与呼吸系统疾病

长链非编码RNA（long non-coding RNAs, lncRNAs）是一类由长度大于200个核苷酸组成的长链非编码序列。lncRNAs具有较长的序列,使得lncRNAs具有复杂的二级及三级结构,这也是lncRNAs结合DNA、RNA和蛋白质及其行使复杂功能的结构基础。MicroRNA（miRNAs)是长度在19到25个核苷酸之间的非编码单链RNA分子,是目前研究最多的小分子非编码RNA。而lncRNAs通过结合或者螯合miRNA来调节miRNA丰度,发挥lncRNA的“海绵”作用,从而调控一系列的病理生理过程。lncRNAs及miRNA在呼吸系统疾病的发生、发展、治疗和预后起重要作用。本文就lncRNAs及其“海绵”作用对呼吸系统疾病的影响及可能的机制进行综述。     

MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in pancreatic cancer: From epigenetics to potential clinical applications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are two relevant classes of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that play a pivotal role in a number of molecular processes through different epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. As a matter of fact, the altered expression of these types of RNAs leads to the development and progression of a varied range of multifactorial human diseases. Several recent reports elucidated that miRNA and lncRNAs have been implicated in pancreatic cancer (PC). For instance, dysregulation of such ncRNAs has been found to be associated with chemoresistance, apoptosis, autophagy, cell differentiation, tumor suppression, tumor growth, cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PC. Moreover, several aberrantly expressed miRNAs and lncRNAs have the potential to be used as biomarkers for accurate PC diagnosis. Additionally, miRNAs and lncRNAs are considered as promising clinical targets for PC. Therefore, in this review, we discuss recent experimental evidence regarding the clinical implications of miRNAs and lncRNAs in the pathophysiology of PC, their future potential, as well as the challenges that have arisen in this field of study in order to drive forward the design of ncRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics for PC.     

Crosstalk between lncRNAs in the apoptotic pathway and therapeutic targets in cancer

The assertion that a significant portion of the mammalian genome has not been translated and that non-coding RNA accounts for over half of polyadenylate RNA have received much attention. In recent years, increasing evidence proposes non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as new regulators of various cellular processes, including cancer progression and nerve damage. Apoptosis is a type of programmed cell death critical for homeostasis and tissue development. Cancer cells often have inhibited apoptotic pathways. It has recently been demonstrated that up/down-regulation of various lncRNAs in certain types of tumors shapes cancer cells' response to apoptotic stimuli. This review discusses the most recent studies on lncRNAs and apoptosis in healthy and cancer cells. In addition, the role of lncRNAs as novel targets for cancer therapy is reviewed here. Finally, since it has been shown that lncRNA expression is associated with specific types of cancer, the potential for using lncRNAs as biomarkers is also discussed.     

miRNA,lncRNA与心血管疾病

近年来,心血管疾病在我国的发病率和致死率呈逐年上升趋势,已成为威胁我国公众健康的重要疾病之一.尽管长期的研究使人们对心血管疾病有了一定的了解,但是其发病机制尚未完全清楚.非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)是指转录组中不编码蛋白的功能性RNA分子,包括微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)和长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)等.miRNA是一类在进化上高度保守,具有转录后调节活性的单链非编码小分子RNA.而lncRNA是一类转录本长度超过200个核苷酸的功能性非编码RNA分子.研究表明,这些功能性ncRNA不但在细胞增殖、分化和衰老过程中发挥着重要作用,还参与了癌症、神经退行性疾病和心血管疾病等疾病的病理进程.本文将着重概述miRNA和lncRNA在心血管疾病中的作用及其最新研究进展.     

Long non-coding RNAs: Promising new targets in pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by progressive and irreversible scarring in the lungs with poor prognosis and treatment. It is caused by various factors, including environmental and occupational exposures, and some rheumatic immune diseases. Even the rapid global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic can also cause pulmonary fibrosis with a high probability. Functions attributed to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) make them highly attractive diagnostic and therapeutic targets in fibroproliferative diseases. Therefore, an understanding of the specific mechanisms by which lncRNAs regulate pulmonary fibrotic pathogenesis is urgently needed to identify new possibilities for therapy. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms and implications of lncRNAs targeted protein-coding and non-coding genes during pulmonary fibrogenesis, and systematically analyze the communication of lncRNAs with various types of RNAs, including microRNA, circular RNA and mRNA. Finally, we propose the potential approach of lncRNA-based diagnosis and therapy for pulmonary fibrosis. We hope that understanding these interactions between protein-coding and non-coding genes will contribute to the development of lncRNA-based clinical applications for pulmonary fibrosis.     

Long non-coding RNAs in hematological malignancies: translating basic techniques into diagnostic and therapeutic strategies

Recent studies have revealed that non-coding regions comprise the vast majority of the human genome and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a diverse class of non-coding RNAs that has been implicated in a variety of biological processes. Abnormal expression of lncRNAs has also been linked to different human diseases including cancers, yet the regulatory mechanisms and functional effects of lncRNAs are still ambiguous, and the molecular details also need to be confirmed. Unlike protein-coding gene, it is much more challenging to unravel the roles of lncRNAs owing to their unique and complex features such as functional diversity and low conservation among species, which greatly hamper their experimental characterization. In this review, we summarize and discuss both conventional and advanced approaches for the identification and functional characterization of lncRNAs related to hematological malignancies. In particular, the utility and advancement of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system as gene-editing tools are envisioned to facilitate the molecular dissection of lncRNAs via different knock-in/out strategies. Besides experimental considerations specific to lncRNAs, the roles of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis and progression of leukemia are also highlighted in the review. We expect that these insights may ultimately lead to clinical applications including development of biomarkers and novel therapeutic approaches targeting lncRNAs.     

Long non-coding RNAs and their implications in cancer epigenetics

LncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) have emerged as key molecular players in the regulation of gene expression in different biological processes. Their involvement in epigenetic processes includes the recruitment of histone-modifying enzymes and DNA methyltransferases, leading to the establishment of chromatin conformation patterns that ultimately result in the fine control of genes. Some of these genes are related to tumorigenesis and it is well documented that the misregulation of epigenetic marks leads to cancer. In this review, we highlight how some of the lncRNAs implicated in cancer are involved in the epigenetic control of gene expression. While very few lncRNAs have already been identified as players in determining the cancer-survival outcome in a number of different cancer types, for most of the lncRNAs associated with epigenetic regulation only their altered pattern of expression in cancer is demonstrated. Thanks to their tissue-specificity features, lncRNAs have already been proposed as diagnostic markers in specific cancer types. We envision the discovery of a wealth of novel spliced and unspliced intronic lncRNAs involved in epigenetic networks or in highly location-specific epigenetic control, which might be predominantly altered in specific cancer subtypes. We expect that the characterization of new lncRNA (long non-coding RNA)–protein and lncRNA–DNA interactions will contribute to the discovery of potential lncRNA targets for use in therapies against cancer.     

长链非编码RNA作为潜在药物靶点的研究进展

随着生命科学的不断发展,2012年DNA元件百科全书（ENCODE）项目进一步丰富了人类基因组功能元件的相关信息。该项目 发现人类基因组超过80%的序列会被转录,其中大部分转录本是非编码RNA（ncRNA）。目前,在这些非编码RNA中,小RNA的研究 相对深入,而长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）的研究相对较少。越来越多研究表明,很多lncRNA参与到人类重大疾病的发生、发展过程之 中,并且一些动物实验证实lncRNA可作为药物靶点。因此,从lncRNA角度筛选新的药物靶点也越来越受到研究者的关注。重点总结了 lncRNA的生物学功能及作为潜在药物靶点的研究进展。