Screening of microRNA and mRNA related to secondary hair follicle morphogenesis and development and functional analysis in cashmere goats

Functional & Integrative Genomics - microRNA (miRNA) is a type of endogenous short-chain non-coding RNA with regulatory function found in eukaryotes, which is involved in the regulation of a...     

miRNAs调控lincRNAs的生物信息学预测与功能分析

基因间长链非编码RNAs(Long intergenic non-coding RNAs, lincRNAs)是位于蛋白编码基因之间的长度超过200 nt的非编码RNAs, 在动物中参与细胞周期调控、免疫监视、胚胎干细胞分化等多种生物学过程, 但是lincRNAs在大多数植物中的功能尚不清楚。MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是真核生物中一类在转录水平和转录后水平介导基因沉默的21 nt左右的内源性单链小非编码RNAs分子, 通过序列互补的方式调控靶标基因的表达。目前miRNAs的靶标研究主要集中于编码蛋白的基因, 而对于靶标为非编码RNAs的研究较少, 尤其在植物中的研究更为少见。为了系统挖掘植物中lincRNAs的功能, 文章整合miRNAs数据、cDNAs数据和降解组数据, 利用生物信息学方法找到拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)337个成熟miRNAs在2708个lincRNAs上的可能结合位点, 构建了miRNAs-mRNAs-lincRNAs调控网络, 并根据竞争性内源(ceRNA)假说预测lincRNAs的功能, 为进一步阐明植物中miRNAs对lincRNAs的调控机制以及lincRNAs的功能奠定了基础。     

The roles of pathogen small RNAs

Regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs), also known as non-coding RNA, are not translated into proteins and widespread in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. sRNAs involve in multiple fundamental cellular events. They are emerging regulatory elements that are gaining momentum. Knowledge of sRNA largely originates from eukaryotes. Prokaryotic sRNAs, particularly those of pathogen are only recently explored. The main types, function, and methodology to predict pathogen sRNAs are summarized in this review. Special focus is sRNAs regulating pathogen gene expression, particularly that of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is hitherto the most successful pathogen afflicting mankind.     

编码序列和非编码序列的3-tuple分布特征

非编码序列,特别是内含子的起源,是一个重要的悬而未决的问题。首先通过计算模式生物的编码序列和非编码序列的不同阅读框中3-tupie的频率分布,发现编码区中不同阅读框具有十分不同的3-tuple分布,而在非编码区中,不同阅读框的3-tuple分布几乎相等,并且这一性质不具有物种依赖性。为了描述分布差异的程度,引进夏量一对称相对熵,并通过比较原核生物和真核生物,发现无论是编码区还是非编码区,原核生物都具有比真核生物更高的SRE值。进一步研究表明,某一生物的SRE值与该生物全基因组中编码区所占的百分比存在一定的相关性（相关系数为0．86）。计算机模拟进化实验发现,2％的突变就足以使典型的嗯核生物编码区高SRE值变为真核生物内含子区特有的低SRE值。比对数据库中已经注释的内含子和编码区序列,证明确实有一部分与编码区具有很高同源性的内含子序列。实验表明,至少部分真核生物的内含子可能起源于编码序列,同时也说明SRE可能被用于研究物种基因组序列的进化。     

Emerging themes in non-coding RNA quality control

Quality control pathways for non-coding RNAs such as tRNAs and rRNAs are widespread. In both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, poly(A) polymerases target aberrant non-coding RNAs for degradation. In yeast, a nuclear complex that includes the poly(A) polymerase Trf4p works together with the exosome in degrading a broad array of non-coding RNAs, several of which are aberrant. Yeast also have additional pathways for the degradation of defective RNAs and other pathways may exist in higher eukaryotes. One possibility is that cells recognize specific, still undiscovered, features common to misfolded RNAs; however, an alternative is that RNA quality control proteins interact with relatively general RNA structures, whereas correctly folded RNAs are sequestered by specific RNA-binding proteins and thus protected from degradation. Recently available structures of protein and ribonucleoprotein complexes involved in non-coding RNA quality control are providing a more detailed understanding of this process.     

Characteristics of nucleotide blocks in coding and non-coding DNA sequences from different organisms

A statistical analysis of occurrence of particular nucleotide runs (1 divided by 10 nucleotides long) in DNA sequences of different species has been carried out. There are considerable differences in run distributions in DNA sequences of prokaryotes, invertebrates and vertebrates. Distribution of various types of runs has been found to be different in coding and non-coding sequences. There is an abundance of short runs 1 divided by 2 nucleotides long in coding sequences, and there is a deficiency of such runs in the non-coding regions. However, some interesting exceptions from this rule exist: for run distribution of adenine in prokaryotes and for distribution of purine-pyrimidine runs in eukaryotes. This may be stipulated by the fact that the distribution of runs are predetermined by structural peculiarities of the entire DNA molecule. Runs of guanine or cytosine of three to six nucleotides long occur predominantly in the non-coding DNA regions in eukaryotes, especially in vertebrates.     

How much non-coding DNA do eukaryotes require?

Despite tremendous advances in the field of genomics, the amount and function of the large non-coding part of the genome in higher organisms remains poorly understood. Here we report an observation, made for 37 fully sequenced eukaryotic genomes, which indicates that eukaryotes require a certain minimum amount of non-coding DNA (ncDNA). This minimum increases quadratically with the amount of DNA located in exons. Based on a simple model of the growth of regulatory networks, we derive a theoretical prediction of the required quantity of ncDNA and find it to be in excellent agreement with the data. The amount of additional ncDNA (in basepairs) which eukaryotes require obeys N_DEF=1/2 (N_C/N_P) (N_C−N_P), where N_C is the amount of exonic DNA, and N_P is a constant of about 10 Mb. This value N_DEF corresponds to a few percent of the genome in Homo sapiens and other mammals, and up to half the genome in simpler eukaryotes. Thus, our findings confirm that eukaryotic life depends on a substantial fraction of ncDNA and also make a prediction of the size of this fraction, which matches the data closely.     

MicroRNAs对斑马鱼发育的调控

microRNAs(miRNAs)是一类长度约为22nt的非编码小RNA,从单细胞到多细胞真核生物中都广泛存在,在进化过程中高度保守,对动物发育、生理功能及病理过程都具有重要调控作用。斑马鱼(Danio rerio)是现代生物学研究中广泛使用的模式动物,以斑马鱼为模型研究miRNAs可以揭示miRNAs在脊椎动物中的功能。文章就miRNAs整体缺失对斑马鱼胚胎发育的影响及一些miRNAs在斑马鱼早期发育过程中的调控机制进行了综述,从而为探索miRNAs在脊椎动物中的功能及鱼类的生产育种提供理论基础。     

RNA在RNA剪接中的功能：从催化到调控

对非编码RNA功能的认识是后基因组时代的一个研究焦点,本文主要介绍非编码RNA在RNA剪接中的催化和调控功能。在RNA加工过程中,三大类内含子的剪接都是由RNA成员主导。其中Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型内含子能催化自身的切除和外显子连接反应;而核mRNA内含子的剪接则由剪接体里的小核RNA主导。Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型内含子存在于细菌、低等真核细胞和植物的细胞器内;而真核细胞的核编码蛋白质基因内全部是核mRNA内含子,并且其数目随生物体的复杂性而显著升高。一个多内含子前体mRNA通过选择性剪接产生多种,甚至上万种不同的mRNA和蛋白质,对蛋白质组的复杂度和时空表达调控至关重要。选择性剪接调控由剪接调控蛋白特异识别和结合前体mRNA里所富含的顺式RNA调控元件完成的;系统认识这两者之间的对应关系是揭示基因组表达调控网络的一把钥匙。     

山羊microRNA研究进展

小RNA(micro RNA,mi RNA)是真核生物中发现的一类内源性的具有调控功能的非编码RNA,长度约20~25个核苷酸。研究表明,mi RNA参与真核生物的许多生命过程,包括个体发育、新陈代谢、细胞生长和凋亡等方面。目前,关于山羊(Capra aegagrus hircus)的mi RNA数据相对较少。文章综述了山羊mi RNA对皮肤与毛囊发育、肌肉生长发育、泌乳及生殖的调控作用,为利用mi RNA调控和改善绒山羊毛绒品质、生长性能及繁殖性能等提供理论基础和研究思路。     

From snoRNA to miRNA: Dual function regulatory non-coding RNAs

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are an ancient class of small non-coding RNAs present in all eukaryotes and a subset of archaea that carry out a fundamental role in the modification and processing of ribosomal RNA. In recent years, however, a large proportion of snoRNAs have been found to be further processed into smaller molecules, some of which display different functionality. In parallel, several studies have uncovered extensive similarities between snoRNAs and other types of small non-coding RNAs, and in particular microRNAs. Here, we explore the extent of the relationship between these types of non-coding RNA and the possible underlying evolutionary forces that shaped this subset of the current non-coding RNA landscape.     

MicroRNAs in Drosophila: The magic wand to enter the Chamber of Secrets?

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are now recognised as key regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes. Over the past few years, hundreds of miRNAs have been identified from various organisms including vertebrates, nematodes, insects and plants. A high level of conservation of some miRNAs from animals to plants underlines their crucial role in eukaryotes. Although biogenesis and mode of action of miRNAs are now quite well understood, their numerous and specific regulatory functions remain to be unravelled. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on miRNAs in insects, which was mainly acquired through the study of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.     

A novel experimental approach for systematic identification of box H/ACA snoRNAs from eukaryotes

Box H/ACA snoRNAs represent an abundant group of small non-coding RNAs mainly involved in the pseudouridylation of rRNAs and/or snRNAs in eukaryotes and Archaea. In this study, we describe a novel experimental method for systematic identification of box H/ACA snoRNAs from eukaryotes. In the specialized cDNA libraries constructed by this method with total cellular RNAs from human blood cells, the high efficiency of cloning for diverse box H/ACA snoRNAs was achieved and seven novel species of this snoRNA family were identified from human for the first time. Furthermore, the novel method has been successfully applied for the identification of the box H/ACA snoRNAs from Drosophila and the fission yeast, demonstrating a powerful ability for systematic analysis of box H/ACA snoRNAs in a broad spectrum of eukaryotes.