睾丸特异性小RNA：piRNA

A Novel Class of Testis-specific Small RNAs:piRNAs

真核细胞能产生一类长度19～30个核苷酸(nt)的小RNA,这些小RNA能在降解mRNA及翻译抑制等方面起靶向作用。与之相关的Argonaut家族蛋白分为2个亚家族:AGO亚家族,包括AGO1～44个成员,表达分布广泛,主要与miRNAs和siRNAs结合、通过与RNA干扰类似的途径抑制目的基因表达;另一个是PIWI亚家族,包括PIWI、Aubgine(AUB)和AGO3,均局限表达于睾丸组织。最近4个研究小组在哺乳动物的睾丸内发现了一类新的小RNA,因能与PIWI亚家族蛋白结合,故命名为piwi-interfering RNAs(piRNAs),可能在精子发生的基因表达调控中起重要作用。

Eukaryotes produce various types of 19-30 nt small RNAs, which act as guides to the regulation of gene expressions, such as mRNA degradation and translational repression. The Argonaut family members related to small RNA functions fall into 2 subfamilies. One is the AGO subfamily, whose 4 members distribute widely, confirmedly bind to miRNAs and siRNAs and inhibit the expression of target mRNAs through a pathway like RNA interference. The other is the PIWI subfamily, including PIWI, Aubgine （ AUB ） and AGO3, exclusively expressed in the testis. Recently, four research groups have isolated a new class of small RNAs from the mammalian testis, which interacts with the PIWI subfamily, hence named piwi-interfering RNAs （ piRNAs）, and is suggestive of an important role in spermatogenesis. Natl J Androl, 2008, 14（2） ： 163-165