小分子RNA在植物叶发育中的调控作用

叶发育是叶原基细胞有序的分裂、生长和分化的过程,受到植物激素和多个转录因子的严格调控.近年的研究表明,在叶片发育的过程中,小分子RNA是基因调控网络的重要组分.小分子RNA通过对其中一些转录因子的抑制作用,影响其表达水平和空间分布,维持叶的正常发育.本综述介绍了小分子RNA及其靶基因调控模块在叶片发生、 叶片形状、叶子极性发育和叶子衰老等过程中的调控作用,并展望了未来研究中新方向.     

植物小RNAs及其抗胁迫机制研究进展

植物非编码小RNA(sRNAs)主要分为三类:微小RNA(m iRNAs)、小干扰RNA(siRNAs)和长小片段干扰RNA(lsiRNAs)。三者的生物合成和作用机制有所不同,但他们主要都通过介导靶mRNAs的剪切或抑制其翻译来调控基因的表达。这篇文章主要介绍小RNA研究的最新进展,并重点阐述其在非生物和生物胁迫中发挥的作用,如应对矿质元素缺乏、氧化胁迫、ABA胁迫以及病原菌入侵等生理过程。     

内源小RNAs的生物合成及其在植物发育中的作用

在真核生物中,具有20-30个核苷酸的小RNAs能够在DNA或RNA水平上广泛调控复杂生理进程.介绍植物中3种主要内源小RNAs:microRNAs、trans-acting siRNAs和heterochromatic siRNAs的生物合成及其在植物发育中的作用.     

tsRNAs的作用机制及其在相关疾病中的潜在应用*

近年来,转运RNA(transfer RNA,tRNA)衍生的小RNA(tRNA-derived small RNA,tsRNAs)被认为是一种新的、潜在的非编码RNAs(non-coding RNA,ncRNAs)。根据在前体或成熟tRNA上切割位置的不同,tsRNAs主要被分为两种类型,即tRNA halves(tRNA-derived stress-induced RNA,tiRNAs)和tRNA衍生片段(tRNA-derived fragment,tRFs)。越来越多的证据表明,tsRNAs参与翻译起始抑制、基因沉默和调节核糖体发生等多种细胞代谢过程,并在癌症、神经退行性疾病、代谢性疾病和病毒感染等相关疾病的发生、发展中都起着重要的作用。综述tsRNAs生物学功能和作用机制及其在相关疾病中的潜在应用,总结tsRNAs研究目前存在的问题和未来的研究方向。     

Small nucleolar RNAs

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are an abundant class of non-protein-coding RNAs. In association with proteins they perform two most frequent nucleotide modifications in rRNAs and some other cellular RNAs: 2'-O-ribose methylation and pseudouridylation. SnoRNAs also participate in pre-rRNA cleavage and telomerase functions. Most snoRNAs fall into two families, box C/D and H/ACA, distinguished by the presence of conserved sequence boxes. Although C/D and H/ACA snoRNP proteins contain homologous regions, the assembly of these RNPs significantly differ. In addition, snoRNAs include the RNA component of RNAses P and MRP. The structure and function of small RNPs from Cajal bodies (small organelles associated with nucleoli) similar to snoRNP are also discussed.     

细菌中的小RNA

小RNA（sRNA）或非编码RNA（ncRNA）在原核生物和真核生物中广泛分布。迄今,在各种细菌中共发现超过150种sRNA,在大肠杆菌中发现了约80种sRNA。sRNA通过与靶mRNA配对而发生作用,导致mRNA翻译和稳定性的变化;sRNA的功能涉及从结构调节到催化作用,影响生物体内各种各样的加工过程,一个单独的sRNA就能调控大量的基因并对细胞生理产生深远影响。目前,对sRNA的研究主要采用生物信息学预测结合分子生物学实验的方法。     

Small RNAs and cancerogenesis

Disturbances of microRNA generation and functioning as inhibitors of gene expression at the translational level are considered as specific and diagnostic features of cancer. This review also highlights the role of short interfering RNA (siRNA) in modified epigenomic chromatin structure, which may cause cancer transformation. Future directions of cancer epigenomics are considered in the light of the involvement of siRNA in epigenomic modification of chromatin.     

Small RNAs in pollen

In plants, each pollen mother cell undergoes two rounds of cell divisions to form a mature pollen grain, which contains a vegetative cell(VC) and two sperm cells(SC). As a companion cell, the VC carries the SCs to an ovule by germinating a pollen tube. In-depth sequencing analyses of mature pollen showed that micro RNAs(mi RNAs) and short interfering RNAs(si RNAs) are present in both the VC and SCs. Additionally, epigenetically-regulated transposable elements(TEs) are reactivated in the VC and these TE m RNAs are further processed into 21-nt epigenetically reactivated si RNA(easiR NA) in SCs, which prevent 24-nt si RNA accumulation and sequester mi RNA loading. Small RNAs are thought to move from the VC to SCs, where they regulate gene expression and reinforce TE silencing. Here, we summarize current knowledge of the biogenesis and function of mi RNAs, si RNAs, and easi RNAs in pollen, emphasizing how these different small RNAs coordinately contribute to sperm cell formation and TE silencing.     

Plant Mobile Small RNAs

In plants, RNA silencing is a fundamental regulator of gene expression, heterochromatin formation, suppression of transposable elements, and defense against viruses. The sequence specificity of these processes relies on small noncoding RNA (sRNA) molecules. Although the spreading of RNA silencing across the plant has been recognized for nearly two decades, only recently have sRNAs been formally demonstrated as the mobile silencing signals. Here, we discuss the various types of mobile sRNA molecules, their short- and long-range movement, and their function in recipient cells.RNA silencing is a regulatory mechanism that controls the expression of endogenous genes and exogenous molecular parasites such as viruses, transgenes, and transposable elements. One of the most fascinating aspects of RNA silencing found in plants and invertebrates is its mobile nature—in other words, its ability to spread from the cell where it has been initiated to neighboring cells. This phenomenon relies on the movement of small noncoding RNA molecules (sRNA, 21–24 nucleotides [nt] in length) that provide the sequence specificity of the silencing effects. In plants, there are two major classes of sRNAs: short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and micro RNAs (miRNAs). These sRNAs are generated by diverse and sometimes interacting biochemical pathways, which may influence their mobility. Movement of plant sRNAs falls into two main categories: cell-to-cell (short-range) and systemic (long-range) movement (Melnyk et al. 2011).