环状RNA的生物特征及其在植物中的研究进展

Biology Features of Circular RNAs and Their Research Progress in Plants

环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是真核细胞中广泛存在的一类由3′末端和5′末端共价结合形成的环状非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA)。越来越多的研究表明,circRNA具有种类丰富、结构稳定、序列保守以及细胞或组织特异性表达等特点。circRNA具有很多潜在的功能,例如作为天然小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)海绵体吸附并调控miRNA的活性,与转录调控元件结合或与蛋白互作调控基因的转录等。目前关于circRNA的研究多集中在动物和人体中,在植物中的研究还较少,仅在水稻(Oryza sativa)、拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)、小麦(Triticum aestivum)、猕猴桃(Actinidia chinensis)、番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)和大豆(Glycine max)等中鉴定到了circRNA的存在,并且其作用机理尚不清楚。该文主要针对circRNA的分类、形成机制、分子特征、相关研究方法以及在植物中的主要研究进展进行综述,并对目前植物circRNA研究中存在的问题进行了分析总结。

Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are a large class of non coding endogenous RNAs in eukaryotic that are formed through3′-5′ligation of a single RNA molecule.Accumulating studies have shown that circRNAs are abundant,diverse,stable,and cell or tissue specific expression,etc.Recent studies have shown that circRNAs can act as miRNA sponges to sequester miRNAs,play regulatory roles on the expression of their parent coding genes and bind to RNA associated proteins to form RNA protein complexes and regulating gene transcription.However,most of these previous studies are focus on animals and human,very little information is available about the features and functions of circRNAs in plants.At present,circular RNAs have only been identified in rice(Oryza sativa),Arabidopsis(Arabidopsis thaliana),wheat(Triticum aestivum),kiwifruit(Actinidia chinensis),tomato(Solanum lycopersicum),and soybean(Glycine max),their biological functions are much unknown in plants.The present article reviewed circRNAsclassification,biogenesis,functions and relative research methods,and summarized the research progress and unresolved issues about circRNAs in plants.