MicroRNAs与胸腺细胞发育的研究进展

Research progress on relationship between microRNAs and thymocytes development

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是广泛存在于真核生物体中的一组内源性非编码单链小分子RNA,长度约为22~24个核甘酸,主要通过完全结合或部分结合目的基因的3′端非编码区(3′-UTR),在转录后水平促进靶基因mRNA的降解或抑制蛋白质翻译而负调控目的基因表达,参与调控细胞的发育、分化和凋亡。新近研究显示,miRNAs在免疫细胞的发育、增殖、分化及功能中发挥了重要调控作用。本文主要就miRNAs与胸腺细胞发育相关的研究进展做一综述。

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding single-stranded small-molecule RNAs widely distributed in eukaryotes.They are about 22-24 nucleotides (nt) in length,which can bind the target gene 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) fully or partially,and can either promote the degradation of target gene mRNA or inhibit protein translation at the post-transcriptional level to negatively regulate the expression of the target gene,involved in the regulation of cell development,differentiation,metastasis and apoptosis.Previous studies have shown that miRNAs play an important role in regulating the development,proliferation,differentiation and function of immune cells.The related research progress in the relationship between miRNAs and thymocytes development is reviewed in this paper.