环状RNA的研究进展

Research advances on circular RNAs

环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是以共价封闭环为特征,广泛存在于真核细胞转录的一类新型RNA分子,具有结构稳定、高度保守性、表达量丰富的特点,并且在不同组织的各发育阶段具有表达特异性。目前已在哺乳动物、植物中发现成千上万circRNA。环状RNA有充当微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)海绵、剪切和转录的调控,亲代基因修饰的功能。与许多疾病密切相关,可能成为疾病诊断或预测的生物学标志物。同miRNA和长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lnc RNA)类似,环状RNA已经成为RNA研究领域新的热点,可能同生命进程息息相关。本文就其形成、特征、功能及在疾病潜在意义进行综述。

Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are a novel type of RNA that form a covalently closed continuous loop and are highly represented in the eukaryotic transcriptome.They are characterized by stable structure,high conservativeness,and abundant expression,and show the expression specificity at different stages of development in different tissues.So far,thousands of endogenous circRNAs have been discovered in mammalian cells and plants.circRNAs can function as microRNA(miRNA)sponges,regulators of splicing and transcription,and modifiers of parental gene expression.They are involved in many diseases and can serve as diagnostic or predictive biomarkers of some diseases.Similar to miRNAs and long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs),circRNAs have become a new research hotspot in the field of RNA and could be widely involved in the processes of life.Herein,we review the formation,properties of circRNAs,their functions and their potential significance in diseases.