精神分裂症相关单核苷酸多态性调控microRNA功能研究进展

Schizophrenia-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms affecting microRNA function

MicroRNA(miRNAs)是一类长约22nt且对基因表达具有广泛的调控作用的非编码RNA,并在神经元增殖、分化和发育成熟的过程中扮演重要角色。近年来全基因组关联研究(genome-wide association studies,GWAS)发现了众多的精神分裂症相关单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphisms,SNPs)位点多位于非编码区,表明miRNA在精神分裂症的发病过程中存在重要作用。本文综述了精神分裂症相关SNP与miRNA可能发生相互作用的4种机制(SNP位于miRNA基因、SNP位于miRNA宿主基因、SNP位于miRNA种子序列和SNP位于miRNA结合位点),为研究miRNA在精神分裂症发生发展中的作用提供参考。

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) compose a class of non-coding transcripts with a mean length of 22 nucleotides, and play critical roles in regulating gene expression in the process of development, proliferation and differentiation of neurons. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) find most of schizophrenia-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) locating in the non-coding regions, providing functional implications of miRNAs in the development of schizophrenia. In this review, we highlight the interplays between GWAS-SNPs and miRNAs in four perspectives: SNP in miRNA gene;miRNA located in the host gene;SNP located in the miRNA’s seed sequence;SNP located in the miRNA’s binding site. We also speculate on the future research on the role of miRNA in the development of schizophrenia.