长链非编码RNA的分子机制及其在糖尿病中的作用

The molecular mechanism of long non-coding RNA and its role in diabetes mellitus

随着microRNAs(miRNAs)及长链非编码RNA(lncRNAs)在内的非编码RNA(ncRNAs)在基因表达过程中的重要调控作用不断被揭示,其在糖尿病及其并发症中的作用引起学者的极大关注,lncRNAs更是近年来的研究热点。LncRNAs是一类转录本长度超过200 nt的RNA分子,不直接参与基因编码和蛋白质合成,但是可在表观遗传水平、转录水平和转录后水平等多层次调控基因的表达。大量研究表明,lncRNAs在肿瘤、心血管疾病和糖尿病等多种疾病的发生发展过程中发挥了重要的调控功能。探讨其作用方式、分子机制以及疾病致病机理为临床相关疾病的预测、诊断和治疗提供了科学依据。本文主要介绍了lncRNAs作用的分子机制及其在糖尿病发生发展中的作用。

With further understanding of non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs), especially microRNAs(miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs), the role of lncRNAs in diabetes and its complications has attracted great attention of the researchers. LncRNAs are endogenous molecules lacking protein-encoding capacity, whose molecules longer than 200 nucleotides. Although lncRNAs are not directly associated with the gene encoding and protein synthesis, they can regulate gene expression at multi-levels, such as epigenetic level, transcriptional level and post-transcriptional level. Increasing evidence indicates that lncRNAs play critical roles in several diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, cancer and diabetes mellitus. In recent years, studies reported lncRNAs potential as clinical biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for clinical related disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Here, we review the role and potential mechanism of lncRNAs in diabetes.