环状RNA的研究新进展

Recent advances on the study of circular RNA

环状RNA(circular RNA,circ RNA)作为非编码RNA家族成员,具有特征性的共价闭合环结构。circ RNA在各种生物中广泛表达,具有种属、组织、疾病及发育阶段相关的特异性,与各种疾病,尤其是恶性肿瘤的发生发展密切相关。circ RNA的主要功能是作为海绵吸附mi RNA发挥生物学功能,同时还具有调控转录和转录后过程、可变剪接、编码蛋白以及充当蛋白诱饵等作用。目前已有多种预测方法用于circ RNA的鉴定。现就circ RNA的特征、分类、形成、功能、计算方法学以及在疾病发生中的最新研究成果进行全面阐述。

Circular RNA （circRNA）, as a class of non-coding RNA family, has covalently closed loop structure. circRNA is abundant in different cells with specie-, tissue-, disease- and developmental stage-specific manners, and has been demonstrated to play a vital role in the development of various diseases, especially in cancers. The biological function of circRNA is multi-faceted, including miRNA sponge, transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene expression regulation, alternative splicing, protein coding and protein decoy. Recently, several detection tools have been developed to specifically identify circRNA. The review will elaborate the characteristics, classification, biogenesis, function, detecting tools and potential implications of circRNA in various diseases.