非编码RNA在癌症中的功能研究

Function Research on Non-coding RNA in Cancer

人类基因组约含有超30亿个DNA碱基对,其中约含有2-2.5万个蛋白质编码基因,这些蛋白质编码基因只占据不到2%的基因组序列,剩余的近99%的DNA都位于非编码区。基因组中大量的非编码区域曾被认为基因组中的"暗物质",普遍认为其没有任何实际的功能。但是随着基因测序技术的发展,越来越多的"垃圾"DNA被证实并不"垃圾"。科学家们发现,这些非编码基因虽然不表达蛋白质,但是会生成非编码RNA,并且越来越多的证据表明非编码RNA具有重要的生物学功能,在真核生物的基因表达调控过程中发挥重要的核心作用,这些非编码RNA可作为基因调控网络中的主要参与者促进基因的转录调控,与各种人类疾病的机制密切相关。本文综述了非编码RNA的定义、性质特点、原理及其在癌症中的功能。

The human genome contains about 3 billion DNA base pairs,including about 20,000 to 25,000 protein coding genes,which occupy less than 2% of the genome sequence and the remaining 99% of the DNA is located in the non-coding region.A large number of non-coding regions in the genome were once thought to be ＂dark matter＂ in the genome,which is generally believed to have no actual function.However,with the development of gene sequencing technology,more and more ＂junk＂ DNA has been proved not to be ＂junk＂.Scientists have found that although these non-coding genes do not express proteins,they will generate non-coding RNA,and more and more evidence shows that non-coding RNA has important biological functions and plays an important core role in the gene expression regulation process in eukaryotes.These non-coding RNA can be used as the main participants in gene regulation networks to promote gene transcription regulation and are closely related to the mechanisms of various human diseases.This article summarizes the definition,nature and characteristics,principles and functions of non-coding RNA in cancer.