miRNA的非经典作用机制研究进展

Research Progress in Unconventional miRNA Functions

microRNA(miRNA)是一类在进化上较为保守的内源性非编码单链RNA分子(ncRNAs),包含大约20-22个核苷酸,通过与靶基因mRNA互补作用参与调控基因表达及多种生理生化过程。目前研究主要集中于miRNA通过剪切mRNA或抑制翻译负调控基因表达的经典作用机制上,但是针对miRNA非经典作用机制的研究较少。本文综述了近年来包括miRNA前体可编码多肽、miRNA可与其他功能蛋白相结合、miRNA可直接激活TLR受体蛋白、miRNA可提高蛋白表达水平、miRNA靶向调控线粒体相关基因mRNA以及miRNA可直接调控基因转录过程等6种miRNA的非经典作用机制,旨在能够更加深入和系统地理解miRNA的非经典作用模式,为解析miRNA在生物体内复杂的分子调控机制提供新的思路和方法。

microRNAs(miRNAs)are a class of evolutionarily conserved endogenous small noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs),containing approximately 20-22 nucleotides,are involved in the regulating gene expressions and multiple physiological and biochemical processes by complementary functions with target gene mRNAs. Current studies mainly focus on the conventional functions of miRNAs negatively regulating the expressions of specific target genes by cleaving their mRNAs or otherwise inhibiting their translation into proteins. However,there are few studies on the unconventional functions of miRNAs. In this review,we emphatically summarized the 6 unconventional miRNA functions,including pri-miRNAs coding for peptides,miRNAs interacting with non-AGO proteins,miRNAs directly activating Toll-like receptors,miRNAs upregulating protein expression,miRNAs targeting mitochondrial transcripts,and miRNAs directly activating transcription,aiming to understand the unconventional miRNA functions more deeply and systematically,and provide novel ideas and methods for revealing the complex molecular regulation mechanism of miRNA in vivo.