LncRNAs与miRNAs在非梗阻性无精症中的研究进展

Research Progress of LncRNAs and MiRNAs in Non-Obstructive Azoospermia

非梗阻性无精症(non-obstructive azoospermia,NOA)约占男性不育的10%～15%。然而,非染色体性NOA病因复杂,发病机制尚不清楚。精子生成过程受到转录因子、基因或信号通路的调控。其中长链非编码RNAs(lncRNAs)为长度大于200个核苷酸的调控性非编码RNA,通过转录、转录后修饰和表观遗传水平等多种机制调节基本的生化和细胞过程。微小RNAs(miRNAs)通过碱基互补配对的形式与mRNA结合,促使mRNA降解或阻碍其翻译,进而抑制目的蛋白的表达,在多种生物过程中发挥作用,包括发育、分化、细胞增殖和细胞凋亡。LncRNAs与miRNAs的异常表达可导致精子正常发育过程的紊乱。深入研究NOA相关的lncRNAs与miRNAs及其作用机制,有助于探讨NOA的病因和发病机制。

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) accounts for about 10% to 15% of male infertility. However, the etiology of non-chromosomal NOA is complex and the pathogenesis is still unclear. Spermatogenesis is regulated by transcription factors, genes or signaling pathways. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a kind of regulatory non-coding RNAs with a length of more than 200 nucleotides, which participate in basic biochemical and cellular processes through various mechanisms such as transcription, post-transcriptional and epigenetic modification. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) bind to mRNA through base-pairing, in which miRNAs promote mRNA degradation or block mRNA translation, and inhibite the expression of the target protein. MiRNAs play multiple roles in biological processes including development, differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. The abnormal expressions of lncRNAs and miRNAs can lead to the disorder of spermatogenesis. Therefore, the study on lncRNAs and miRNAs in NOA is helpful for us to analyse the etiology and pathogenesis of NOA.