内含子microRNA及其宿主基因的表达与功能

微小RNA(microRNAs,miRNAs)是一类具有转录后水平基因表达调控作用的非编码小分子RNA.microRNAs可参与机体发育、代谢及恶性肿瘤、心律失常等疾病的发生.近半数microRNA的编码基因位于已知编码蛋白基因的内含子中,称为"内含子microRNA",后者称为"宿主基因".由于内含子microRNA编码基因位置的特殊性,有研究者认为二者能够共同表达并发挥相似的生物学功能.它的发现不仅丰富了人们对内含子功能的认识,还有助于完善宿主基因功能的作用通路。

Expression and Function on Intronic miRNAs and Their Host Genes

MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNA molecules that mainly act as negative regulators of target gene message. They have been implicated in development, metabolism and several diseases, including malignancies and arhythmia. Half of known miRNA genes are located within the intronic regions of protein-coding gene, so-called “intronic microRNA” or “intragenic microRNA” and this protein-coding gene is called “host gene”. Due to their specific location in genome, some investigators presume that they can perform a co-expression and play the similar roles. The discovery of intronic microRNA not only provide more cognition of intronic function but also help to comprehend the functions of host genes pathway. Here, we review the relationship between intronic miRNAs and host genes and their pathway.