Pathological significance of tRNA-derived small RNAs in neurological disorders

Non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs) are a type of RNA that is not translated into proteins. Transfer RNAs(tRNAs), a type of ncRNA, are the second most abundant type of RNA in cells. Recent studies have shown that tRNAs can be cleaved into a heterogeneous population of ncRNAs with lengths of 18–40 nucleotides, known as tRNA-derived small RNAs(tsRNAs). There are two main types of tsRNA, based on their length and the number of cleavage sites that they contain: tRNA-derived fragments and tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs. These RNA species were first considered to be byproducts of tRNA random cleavage. However, mounting evidence has demonstrated their critical functional roles as regulatory factors in the pathophysiological processes of various diseases, including neurological diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms by which tsRNAs affect specific cellular processes are largely unknown. Therefore, this study comprehensively summarizes the following points:(1) The biogenetics of tsRNA, including their discovery, classification, formation, and the roles of key enzymes.(2) The main biological functions of tsRNA, including its miRNA-like roles in gene expression regulation, protein translation regulation, regulation of various cellular activities, immune mediation, and response to stress.(3) The potential mechanisms of pathophysiological changes in neurological diseases that are regulated by tsRNA, including neurodegeneration and neurotrauma.(4) The identification of the functional diversity of tsRNA may provide valuable information regarding the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms of neurological disorders, thus providing a new reference for the clinical treatment of neurological diseases. Research into tsRNAs in neurological diseases also has the following challenges: potential function and mechanism studies, how to accurately quantify expression, and the exact relationship between tsRNA and miRNA. These challenges require future research efforts.

低氧性大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞tsRNA的表达谱分析

目的观察低氧性大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞(rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells,RPASMCs)中1类新型非编码RNA-tRNA衍生的小RNA(tRNA-derived small RNA,tsRNA)表达情况。方法采用1%O2的低氧培养箱和常氧培养箱分别培养RPASMCs 24 h,通过tsRNA高通量测序技术和生物信息学检测并分析RPASMCs中tsRNA的表达差异。结果tsRNA高通量测序检测到3806个tsRNA,其中具有明确类型的有504个(上调的tsRNA有195个,下调的tsRNA有309个),差异表达的上调和下调的tsRNA分别为116个和156个,在进一步剔除掉片段长度<16 nt的tsRNA之后,与常氧培养比较,低氧处理的RPASMCs表达显著上调的tsRNA有59个(P<0.01),表达显著下调的tsRNA有9个(P<0.01)。结论低氧刺激RPASMC后,tsRNA表达存在明显差异,可能影响PASMC增殖、凋亡和迁移等功能,可为深入阐明低氧性肺动脉高压的发生机制提供新方法和新思路。

Development of a tRNA-derived small RNA diagnostic and prognostic signature in liver cancer

Liver cancer presents divergent clinical behaviors.There remain opportunities for molecular markers to improve liver cancer diagnosis and prognosis,especially since tRNA-derived small RNAs(tsRNA)have rarely been studied.In this study,a random forests(RF)diagnostic model was built based upon tsRNA profiling of paired tumor and adjacent normal samples and validated by independent validation(IV).A LASSO model was used to developed a seven-tsRNA-based risk score signature for liver cancer prognosis.Model performance was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC curve)and Precision-Recall curve(PR curve).The five-tsRNA-based RF diagnosis model had area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC)88%and area under the precision–recall curve(AUPR)87%in the discovery cohort and 87%and 86%in IV-AUROC and IV-AUPR,respectively.The seven-tsRNA-based prognostic model predicts the overall survival of liver cancer patients(Hazard Ratio 2.02,95%CI 1.36–3.00,P<0.001),independent of standard clinicopathological prognostic factors.Moreover,the model successfully categorizes patients into high-low risk groups.Diagnostic and prognostic modeling can be reliably utilized in the diagnosis of liver cancer and high-low risk classification of patients based upon tsRNA characterization.

tRNA衍生片段的鉴定及对靶分子的调节机制

随着测序技术的发展和对tRNA衍生小分子(tRNA-derived small RNA,tsRNAs)的深入研究,越来越多的tsRNAs及其功能在各物种中被鉴定。tsRNAs根据切割位点的不同可分为tRNA衍生片段(tRNA-derived fragment,tRF)和tRNA应激诱导RNA(tRNA-derived stress-induced RNA,tiRNA),其中tRF是一类具有调节功能的非编码RNA。为了加深对tRF的研究,近年来一些基于测序数据的tRF鉴定方法和相关数据库不断涌现,前者主要包括Telonis等人的算法和tDRmapper方法,后者主要有tRFdb、tRF2Cancer和MINTbase等。同时这两者为tRF的深入研究提供了更有效的工具。大量的研究表明,tRF主要以类似miRNA的方式对RNA、DNA及蛋白质进行调节,但也存在特异的作用方式。随着对这三者的深入研究,研究人员发现tRF在人类疾病的各种生物过程中也扮演着重要的角色,例如可以作为生物标志物。因此本文主要对tRF的鉴定方法、数据库、对靶分子的调节机制及其与人类疾病的关系作一综述。

tsRNAs的作用机制及其在相关疾病中的潜在应用

近年来,转运RNA(transfer RNA,tRNA)衍生的小RNA(tRNA-derived small RNA,tsRNAs)被认为是一种新的、潜在的非编码RNAs(non-coding RNA,ncRNAs)。根据在前体或成熟tRNA上切割位置的不同,tsRNAs主要被分为两种类型,即tRNA halves(tRNA-derived stress-induced RNA,tiRNAs)和tRNA衍生片段(tRNA-derived fragment,tRFs)。越来越多的证据表明,tsRNAs参与翻译起始抑制、基因沉默和调节核糖体发生等多种细胞代谢过程,并在癌症、神经退行性疾病、代谢性疾病和病毒感染等相关疾病的发生、发展中都起着重要的作用。综述tsRNAs生物学功能和作用机制及其在相关疾病中的潜在应用,总结tsRNAs研究目前存在的问题和未来的研究方向。

tsRNAs及其对植物响应非生物胁迫时基因表达的调控

转运RNA(tRNA)衍生的小RNA(tRNA-derived small RNAs,tsRNAs)是一类新兴的保守非编码RNA,通常由在胁迫条件下发生的核酸内切酶切割t RNA前体或成熟t RNA而产生.tsRNAs主要有两种类型,即tRNA衍生的胁迫诱导RNA(tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs,tiRNAs,也称为tRNA半分子(tRNA halves,tRHs))和t RNA衍生的片段(tRNA-derived fragments,tRFs),两者在成熟t RNA或tRNA前体的切割位点不同.tsRNAs在原核生物和真核生物中都广泛存在,呈现时空特异性表达模式以发挥其功能,它们的失调会引发内稳态失衡(homeostatic imbalance).越来越多的证据表明,tsRNAs主要通过调控基因表达的转录、转录后和翻译水平在各种生物学过程中发挥重要作用.因此,研究tsRNAs的生物学功能及其作用分子机制已成为小分子非编码RNA领域的一个新研究热点.本文主要综述了tsRNAs的分类、生物发生、特征和生物学功能方面的进展,重点介绍了tsRNAs对植物响应非生物胁迫时基因表达的调控作用和植物tsRNAs的研究方法,并讨论了tsRNAs生物学的未来方向,特别是植物tsRNAs的研究方向,将促进对植物小分子非编码RNA的理解.

Transfer RNA-derived fragment tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD promotes progression of gastric cancer by targeting ACADSB

Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common gastrointestinal tumors.As a newly discovered type of non-coding RNAs,transfer RNA(tRNA)-derived small RNAs(tsRNAs)play a dual biological role in cancer.Our previous studies have demonstrated the potential of tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for GC.In this work,we confirmed for the first time that tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD can promote the proliferation,migration,and invasion of GC cells in vitro.The dual luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD could bind to the 3'untranslated region(UTR)site of acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase short/branched chain(ACADSB).In addition,ACADSB could rescue the effect of tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD on GC cells.Next,we used Gene Ontology(GO),the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG),and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)to find that downregulated ACADSB in GC may promote lipid accumulation by inhibiting fatty acid catabolism and ferroptosis.Finally,we verified the correlation between ACADSB and 12 ferroptosis genes at the transcriptional level,as well as the changes in reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels by flow cytometry.In summary,this study proposes that tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD may affect GC lipid metabolism and ferroptosis by targeting ACADSB,thereby promoting GC progression.It provides a theoretical basis for the diagnostic and prognostic monitoring value of GC and opens upnew possibilities for treatment.

小非编码RNA在精子发生及男性不育中的功能机制

小非编码RNA是一类特殊的基因调控因子,可在转录、转录后和表观遗传水平上调控真核生物细胞的基因表达.大量研究发现,包括piRNA,miRNA和tsRNA等小非编码RNA在哺乳动物雄性生殖细胞中高丰度表达,为精子发生和雄性生殖必需,其表达异常及相关调控通路基因突变与男性不育密切相关.本文总结近期关于小非编码RNA与精子发生相关的研究进展,将主要概述小非编码RNA在哺乳动物精子发生中的生物学功能和作用机制相关最新研究进展,并探讨其异常调控与男性不育的相关性及其在男性不育临床诊治中的潜在应用.

A 5′tRNA-Ala-derived small RNA regulates anti-fungal defense in plants

Apart from their primordial role in protein synthesis,t RNAs can be cleaved to produce t RNA-derived small RNAs(ts RNAs).The biological functions of ts RNAs in plants remain largely unknown.In this study,we developed Rtc B ligation-based small RNA(s RNA)sequencing,a method that captures and distinguishes between 3′-2′,3′-cyclic-phosphate(c P)/phosphate(P)-terminated s RNAs and 3′-OH-terminated s RNAs,and profiled 5′ts RNAs and 5′t RNA halves in Arabidopsis thaliana.We found that Arabidopsis 5′ts RNAs and 5′t RNA halves predominantly contain a c P at the 3′end and require S-like RNase 1(RNS1)and RNS3 for their production.One of the most abundant 5′ts RNAs,5′ts R-Ala,by associating with AGO1,negatively regulates Cytochrome P45071 A13(CYP71 A13)expression and camalexin biosynthesis to repress anti-fungal defense.Interestingly,5′ts R-Ala is downregulated upon fungal infection.Our study provides a global view of 5′ts RNAs and 5′t RNA halves in Arabidopsis and unravels an important role of a 5′ts RNA in regulating anti-fungal defense.

5′-tiRNA-Gln inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by repressing translation through the interaction with eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I

tRNA-derived small RNAs(tsRNAs)are novel non-coding RNAs that are involved in the occurrence and progression of diverse diseases.However,their exact presence and function in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)remain unclear.Here,differentially expressed tsRNAs in HCC were profiled.A novel tsRNA,tRNAGln-TTG derived 5′-tiRNA-Gln,is significantly downregulated,and its expression level is correlated with progression in patients.In HCC cells,5′-tiRNA-Gln overexpression impaired the proliferation,migration,and invasion in vitro and in vivo,while 5′-tiRNA-Gln knockdown yielded opposite results.5′-tiRNA-Gln exerted its function by binding eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I(EIF4A1),which unwinds complex RNA secondary structures during translation initiation,causing the partial inhibition of translation.The suppressed downregulated proteins include ARAF,MEK1/2 and STAT3,causing the impaired signaling pathway related to HCC progression.Furthermore,based on the construction of a mutant 5′-tiRNA-Gln,the sequence of forming intramolecular G-quadruplex structure is crucial for 5′-tiRNA-Gln to strongly bind EIF4A1 and repress translation.Clinically,5′-tiRNA-Gln expression level is negatively correlated with ARAF,MEK1/2,and STAT3 in HCC tissues.Collectively,these findings reveal that 5′-tiRNA-Gln interacts with EIF4A1 to reduce related mRNA binding through the intramolecular Gquadruplex structure,and this process partially inhibits translation and HCC progression.