嵌合RNA在肿瘤中的生物学意义

嵌合RNA(chimeric RNA)是来自不同基因的外显子片段通过一定的染色体重排或转录剪接机制形成的融合转录本，具有编码新RNA和/或蛋白质的潜能。嵌合RNA广泛存在于肿瘤和正常组织中，但不同的组织、细胞甚至分化的不同时间点都可能有其独特的嵌合RNA表达谱。目前，对嵌合RNA的研究尚处于起步阶段，其相关定义和术语尚不明确，因此，本文将对其进行统一规范。此外，为了从多维度认识“嵌合RNA”,本文将对嵌合RNA的形成机制和分类，以及其在肿瘤发生发展中的作用机制及其在不同肿瘤中的功能和应用进行详细论述。研究表明，嵌合RNA可编码一定的基因产物，在调控细胞的增殖、迁移、侵袭和凋亡等方面发挥重要作用。在肿瘤中，嵌合RNA可编码特异性蛋白质，通过改变细胞表型，或者直接以非编码嵌合RNA的形式影响基因的表达或调控通路，导致癌症的发生。基于此使得嵌合RNA及其编码产物有望成为诊断癌症的重要标志物和药物治疗的有效靶点。近年来，已在不同肿瘤中发现了多种特异性嵌合RNA,它们在疾病的发生和进展中发挥了重要的作用。目前，已有嵌合RNA及其产物作为分子靶标成功应用于临床诊断和治疗，或者评估疾病的预后。本文将...     

植物瞬间表达系统与功能基因组学研究

结构基因组学和功能基因组学的发展使特定植物基因组和转录组序列的获取更为方便和快捷。随之而来的是对各种基因和调控序列的功能注释,探索植物生长和发育的遗传机理。表达和调控表达是遗传物质的自身语言和动态属性,因此通过植物细胞内表达来分析目标基因和序列的表达和调控行为是功能分析的主要立足点。除创造转基因植株外,近几年来植物细胞瞬间表达系统得到了广泛的使用,与基因重排、病毒诱导基因沉默和RNA干扰等新兴技术的结合使其在植物功能基因组研究中扮演了越来越重要的角色。     

PVT1在恶性肿瘤发生发展中的作用及机制

长链非编码RNA在调节细胞的生长、分化及其他生物学过程中具有重要作用,且与恶性肿瘤等常见疾病密切相关.人类长链非编码RNA PVT1的编码基因由于位于染色体8q24这一脆性位点且临近癌基因MYC而受到广泛关注.浆细胞瘤可变异位基因1(PVT1)在多种肿瘤中高表达,是潜在的癌基因;PVT1也能因染色体断裂重排而与其他基因形成新的融合基因影响恶性肿瘤的表型;PVT1还可与MYC基因相互作用,通过多种途径参与恶性肿瘤细胞的增殖、凋亡等调控.本文对PVT1在恶性肿瘤发生发展中的作用及其机制进行综述.     

哺乳动物嵌合RNAs产生机制:cis-SAGe

嵌合RNAs是指由两个或两个以上独立基因(即亲本基因)融合产生的新RNAs。传统观点认为,嵌合RNAs都是染色体重排的结果。近年来研究发现,相邻基因间的顺式剪接(cis-splicing of adjacent genes,cis-SAGe)也是产生嵌合RNAs的重要机制之一。cis-SAGe是同一条染色体上位置相邻、转录方向相同的基因间发生转录通读,由此产生的初始转录本经过加工,形成了含有两个或多个亲本基因序列的嵌合RNAs。cis-SAGe最初是在肿瘤细胞中被鉴定出来,其在肿瘤发生中的潜在功能引起了研究者的广泛兴趣。随着研究的深入,人们发现cis-SAGe也广泛存在于正常组织中,可能是哺乳动物进化过程中产生新基因的一种重要机制。本文就cis-SAGe的剪接和表达特性、产生机制及其产物的功能等方面进行了综述,以期为人们全面了解cis-SAGe的研究概况及发展趋势提供参考。     

黒腹果蝇中嵌合新基因的进化命运和表达模式

新基因的起源和进化对基因组多样性的产生具有重要的贡献.新基因起源常常通过外显子重排而形成嵌合的基因结构,以产生具有新功能的蛋白质.该文调查了在黒腹果蝇中的14个新起源的嵌合基因在群体中的多态性,发现其中8个在群体中的核苷酸多态性会引起提前终止子,而其他6个在群体中编码框都完整且其中4个受到负选择.研究结果表明,嵌合新基因起源后可能存在两种命运:积累提前终止子突变而假基因化,或者表现出一定功能而受自然选择固定下来.基因表达的数据显示,与RNA介导外显子重排(逆转座)形成的新基因不一样,这些由DNA水平外显子重排产生的新基因没有精巢或者雄性特异性表达模式,而是表现出更为多样性的时空表达模式,这提示尽管通过DNA水平外显子重排产生的新基因可能正在变成假基因或者非蛋白质编码的RNA基因,但它们依然可能具有进化出广泛的生物学功能的潜力.     

天然嵌合基因的结构特性及其对基因设计的启示

天然嵌合基因(natural chimeric gene)是由两个或两个以上的独立基因天然融合而成的新基因,该类型基因的发现,突破了“一个基因对应一个染色体座位”的经典认知,扩展了基因的概念。在人类癌症研究过程中,诸多的嵌合基因可导致肿瘤相关疾病,并作为癌症分子的诊断标志而受到人们的广泛关注。本文基于嵌合基因生物信息学方面的相关研究,以癌基因为切入点,从天然嵌合基因的融合特点、转录、调控,以及融合蛋白的结构域组合形式和功能等方面,结合本研究组前期的相关工作,综述了嵌合基因融合结构和功能的研究进展,探讨了当前研究工作的困难与挑战,并对嵌合规律在新基因设计的应用作了展望。     

RNA:诱导基因沉默

在生物体中,双链RNA(double-strand RNA,dsRNA)裂解后的小RNA可以诱导细胞质和基因组水平外源基因沉默。所谓基因沉默(gene silencing)是指生物体中特定基因由于种种原因不表达。小RNA能诱导互补信使RNA在转录后降解。RNA沉默是基因组水平的免疫现象,代表了进化过程中原始的基因组对抗外源基因序列表达的保护机制,在动植物进化中起着重要作用,RNA沉默具有抵抗病毒入侵、抑制转座子活动等作用,并调控蛋白编码基因的表达,具有十分诱人的应用前景。     

生物信息学新方法鉴定乳腺癌增强子并分析其潜在功能

乳腺癌是威胁女性生命的一大危险因素。激活与癌症发生发展和细胞多能性相关的增强子或抑制维持细胞命运的增强子均可导致“细胞身份危机”,使细胞趋向去分化状态进而癌变。本研究运用新的生物信息学方法,通过深入分析癌症基因组图谱(the cancer genome atlas, TCGA)数据库的乳腺癌全转录组测序数据,鉴定乳腺癌相关增强子并量化增强子RNA(enhancer RNA, eRNA),预测其对靶基因的调控活性,同时探讨活性异常增强子在乳腺癌发生发展过程中的潜在作用。在112对乳腺癌患者的肿瘤与癌旁组织中鉴定得到47 921个eRNAs,其中4 830个eRNAs在肿瘤和癌旁组织间存在显著的表达差异,有666个差异表达eRNA的增强子位点与已知的乳腺癌相关基因组变异位点重叠。通过计算转录因子与增强子位点结合的亲和力发现部分增强子突变位点可能导致转录因子亲和力改变,影响增强子活性及其对下游基因的表达调控。通过稀疏优化模型预测增强子与靶基因的调控关系,进一步评估异常增强子对乳腺癌相关基因表达的影响。综合上述分析,本研究提供了一种新的分析流程,系统分析了乳腺癌相关增强子,发掘了乳腺癌增强子相...     

RNA:诱导基因沉默

在生物体中 ,双链RNA (double strandRNA ,dsRNA)裂解后的小RNA可以诱导细胞质和基因组水平外源基因沉默。所谓基因沉默 (genesilencing)是指生物体中特定基因由于种种原因不表达。小RNA能诱导互补信使RNA在转录后降解 ,对于植物 ,可通过同源DNA序列甲基化使转录基因沉默。RNA沉默是基因组水平的免疫现象 ,代表了进化过程中原始的基因组对抗外源基因序列表达的保护机制 ,在动植物进化中起着重要作用 ,RNA沉默具有抵抗病毒入侵、抑制转座子活动、防止自私基因序列的过量增殖等作用 ,并调控蛋白编码基因的表达 ,具有十分诱人的应用前景     

Novel rapidly evolving hominid RNAs bind nuclear factor 90 and display tissue-restricted distribution

Nuclear factor 90 (NF90) is a double-stranded RNA-binding protein implicated in multiple cellular functions, but with few identified RNA partners. Using in vivo cross-linking followed by immunoprecipitation, we discovered a family of small NF90-associated RNAs (snaR). These highly structured non-coding RNAs of ~117 nucleotides are expressed in immortalized human cell lines of diverse lineages. In human tissues, they are abundant in testis, with minor distribution in brain, placenta and some other organs. Two snaR subsets were isolated from human 293 cells, and additional species were found by bioinformatic analysis. Their genes often occur in multiple copies arranged in two inverted regions of tandem repeats on chromosome 19. snaR-A is transcribed by RNA polymerase III from an intragenic promoter, turns over rapidly, and shares sequence identity with Alu RNA and two potential piRNAs. It interacts with NF90's double-stranded RNA-binding motifs. snaR orthologs are present in chimpanzee but not other mammals, and include genes located in the promoter of two chorionic gonadotropin hormone genes. snaRs appear to have undergone accelerated evolution and differential expansion in the great apes.     

Functional roles of non-coding Y RNAs

Non-coding RNAs are involved in a multitude of cellular processes but the biochemical function of many small non-coding RNAs remains unclear. The family of small non-coding Y RNAs is conserved in vertebrates and related RNAs are present in some prokaryotic species. Y RNAs are also homologous to the newly identified family of non-coding stem-bulge RNAs (sbRNAs) in nematodes, for which potential physiological functions are only now emerging. Y RNAs are essential for the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in vertebrates and, when bound to the Ro60 protein, they are involved in RNA stability and cellular responses to stress in several eukaryotic and prokaryotic species. Additionally, short fragments of Y RNAs have recently been identified as abundant components in the blood and tissues of humans and other mammals, with potential diagnostic value. While the number of functional roles of Y RNAs is growing, it is becoming increasingly clear that the conserved structural domains of Y RNAs are essential for distinct cellular functions. Here, we review the biochemical functions associated with these structural RNA domains, as well as the functional conservation of Y RNAs in different species. The existing biochemical and structural evidence supports a domain model for these small non-coding RNAs that has direct implications for the modular evolution of functional non-coding RNAs.     

RNA: versatility in form and function

RNA performs a remarkable range of functions in all cells. In addition to its central role in information transfer from DNA to protein, it is essential for functions as diverse as RNA processing, chromosome end-maintenance and dosage compensation. The versatility of RNA derives from its unique ability to use direct readout via base-pairing for sequence specific targeting (or templating) in combination with its capacity to form elaborate three dimensional structures. Such structures can perform catalysis or serve as protein recognition surfaces. In this short review, we attempt to give a flavor for the diversity of functional RNAs in the cell and highlight, using selected examples, two quite distinct activities, catalysis and sequence specific targeting. Within each section, we discuss how the lessons we have learned from these systems may apply to other, less well understood, RNAs.     

The latest progress on miR‐374 and its functional implications in physiological and pathological processes

Non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been emerging players in cell development, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Based on their differences in length and structure, they are subdivided into several categories including long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs >200nt), stable non‐coding RNAs (60‐300nt), microRNAs (miRs or miRNAs, 18‐24nt), circular RNAs, piwi‐interacting RNAs (26‐31nt) and small interfering RNAs (about 21nt). Therein, miRNAs not only directly regulate gene expression through pairing of nucleotide bases between the miRNA sequence and a specific mRNA that leads to the translational repression or degradation of the target mRNA, but also indirectly affect the function of downstream genes through interactions with lncRNAs and circRNAs. The latest studies have highlighted their importance in physiological and pathological processes. MiR‐374 family member are located at the X‐chromosome inactivation center. In recent years, numerous researches have uncovered that miR‐374 family members play an indispensable regulatory role, such as in reproductive disorders, cell growth and differentiation, calcium handling in the kidney, various cancers and epilepsy. In this review, we mainly focus on the role of miR‐374 family members in multiple physiological and pathological processes. More specifically, we also summarize their promising potential as novel prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets from bench to bedside.     

Variable expression of some "housekeeping" genes during human keratinocyte differentiation

We investigated the expression levels of four cellular "housekeeping" genes during epithelial differentiation. Differentiation is a dynamic process and various cellular RNAs have been targeted for use as internal controls during differentiation of human keratinocytes, but the consistent expression of such standards has not been previously validated. We used the organotypic (raft) culture system to grow stratified and differentiated epithelium in vitro. We compared cellular RNAs from epithelial tissues of both normal human keratinocytes and keratinocytes whose differentiation scheme is altered by the replication of human papillomavirus. Using ribonuclease protection assays to quantify RNA expression levels, we found that beta-actin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase levels fluctuated during epithelial differentiation, whereas cyclophilin RNA and 28S-ribosomal RNA were the most consistently expressed during epithelial differentiation. These stably expressed cellular RNAs can be targeted as controls to permit quantitative expression analyses of cellular and pathogen RNAs during epithelial differentiation under various experimental conditions.     

An optimized isolation and labeling platform for accurate microRNA expression profiling

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in both plants and animals. miRNA genes have been implicated in a variety of important biological processes, including development, differentiation, apoptosis, fat metabolism, viral infection, and cancer. Similar to protein-coding messenger RNAs, miRNA expression varies between tissues and developmental states. To acquire a better understanding of global miRNA expression in tissues and cells, we have developed isolation, labeling, and array procedures to measure the relative abundance of all of the known human mature miRNAs. The method relies on rapid isolation of RNA species smaller than ~40 nucleotides (nt), direct and homogenous enzymatic labeling of the mature miRNAs with amine modified ribonucleotides, and hybridization to antisense DNA oligonucleotide probes. A thorough performance study showed that this miRNA microarray system can detect subfemtomole amounts of individual miRNAs from <1 mug of total RNA, with 98% correlation between independent replicates. The system has been applied to compare the global miRNA expression profiles in 26 different normal human tissues. This comprehensive analysis identified miRNAs that are preferentially expressed in one or a few related tissues and revealed that human adult tissues have unique miRNA profiles. This implicates miRNAs as important components of tissue development and differentiation. Taken together, these results emphasize the immense potential of microarrays for sensitive and high-throughput analysis of miRNA expression in normal and disease states.     

环状RNA在肿瘤中的表达与功能

环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是一类闭合环状的内源RNA分子,广泛存在于不同物种及多种人体细胞中,具有丰富性、稳定性和组织特异性等特点。人体细胞中的circRNA主要可分为外显子circRNA、环状内含子RNA和外显子-内含子circRNA等。与正常组织相比,circRNA在多种肿瘤组织中异常表达,并具有作为微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)海绵调控miRNA、结合蛋白质、参与翻译等功能。虽然circRNA在肿瘤中异常表达的具体机制尚不明确,但其在食管鳞状细胞癌、胃癌、结直肠癌、肝细胞癌、神经胶质瘤等多种肿瘤发生、发展的分子通路中具有重要作用,并有望成为全新的肿瘤标志物和治疗靶点。circRNA领域的发展日新月异,本文根据最新研究报道,就circRNA的基本特征、异常表达机制、调控肿瘤的机制及其在多种肿瘤中发挥的作用作一综述。     

The potential of using blood circular RNA as liquid biopsy biomarker for human diseases

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel class of single-stranded RNAs with a closed loop structure. The majority of circRNAs are formed by a back-splicing process in pre-mRNA splicing. Their expression is dynamically regulated and shows spatiotemporal patterns among cell types, tissues and developmental stages. CircRNAs have important biological functions in many physiological processes, and their aberrant expression is implicated in many human diseases. Due to their high stability, circRNAs are becoming promising biomarkers in many human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and human cancers. In this review, we focus on the translational potential of using human blood circRNAs as liquid biopsy biomarkers for human diseases. We highlight their abundant expression, essential biological functions and significant correlations to human diseases in various components of peripheral blood, including whole blood, blood cells and extracellular vesicles. In addition, we summarize the current knowledge of blood circRNA biomarkers for disease diagnosis or prognosis.