微小RNA与视网膜发育相关性研究进展

Research progress on correlation between microRNA and retinal development

微小RNA（miRNA）是相对分子质量较小、性质稳定的RNA，通过与目的mRNA的部分互补序列碱基互补配对而在转录后水平调节动物、植物的基因表达及抑制蛋白质合成。目前发现在视网膜中表达的miRNA有200多种，miRNA对基因的表达调控影响了视网膜的正常发育，与神经视网膜的发生、视网膜光感受器的分型及正常数量维持、神经节细胞的存活及轴突生长、视网膜色素上皮层的发育均有密切联系。此外，miRNA的调控还与视网膜损伤后的再生有关。miRNA对视网膜发育的调控主要通过直接靶向调节与此有关的某些目的基因的表达，或通过调节某些信号通路组分来实现，在视网膜发育过程中，miRNA功能的正常发挥为视网膜正常形态结构的形成提供了保障，从而为其发挥正常的生理功能提供了物质基础。现就脊椎动物视网膜中miRNA的生物学功能与视网膜发育的相关性研究进展进行综述。

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are small, stable RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in plants and animals by base pairing to partially complementary sequences on target mRNAs to inhibit protein synthesis. More than 200 miRNAs are reportedly expressed in the retina,and miRNA gene regulation has been shown to affect retinal development and is related to the development of both neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium, their gene-regulating function is also closely tied with the differentiation and the survival of both photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cells. Furthermore, miRNA genc regulation is also associated with retinal regeneration after injury. MiRNA controls the development of retina mainly by direct regulating the expression of some related target gene or by adjusting the components of certain signaling pathways. During the development of retina,the normal function of miRNA ensures the correct structure formation of retina,which also provides a substance basis for its normal physiological function. Herein we reviewed the recent research progress of the relavence between functional roles of retinal miRNAs and the retinal development of vertebrate.