Piwi-interacting RNAs: biological functions and biogenesis

2013 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoru Sato ◽  
Mikiko C. Siomi
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Argonaute Proteins ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Germline Cells ◽  
Successive Generations

The integrity of the germline genome must be maintained to achieve successive generations of a species, because germline cells are the only source for transmitting genetic information to the next generation. Accordingly, the germline has acquired a system dedicated to protecting the genome from ‘injuries’ caused by harmful selfish nucleic acid elements, such as TEs (transposable elements). Accumulating evidence shows that a germline-specific subclass of small non-coding RNAs, piRNAs (piwi-interacting RNAs), are necessary for silencing TEs to protect the genome in germline cells. To silence TEs post-transcriptionally and/or transcriptionally, mature piRNAs are loaded on to germline-specific Argonaute proteins, or PIWI proteins, to form the piRISC (piRNA-induced silencing complex). The present chapter will highlight insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying piRISC-mediated silencing and piRNA biogenesis, and discuss a possible link with tumorigenesis, particularly in Drosophila.

scholarly journals Nucleic Acids Chemistry and Engineering: Special Issue on Nucleic Acid Conjugates for Biotechnological Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3594
Author(s):  
Tamaki Endoh ◽  
Eriks Rozners ◽  
Takashi Ohtsuki
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Biotechnological Applications ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Primary Sequence ◽  
Special Issue

Nucleic acids not only store genetic information in their primary sequence but also exhibit biological functions through the formation of their unique structures [...]

DLX6-AS1: a putative lncRNA candidate in multiple human cancers

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Sheykhhasan ◽  
Yaghoub Ahmadyousefi ◽  
Reihaneh Seyedebrahimi ◽  
Hamid Tanzadehpanah ◽  
Hamed Manoochehri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Human Cancers ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Research Studies

Abstract Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important roles in regulating the expression of genes and act as biomarkers in the initial development of different cancers. Increasing research studies have verified that dysregulation of lncRNAs occurs in various pathological processes including tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Among the different lncRNAs, DLX6-AS1 has been reported to act as an oncogene in the development and prognoses of different cancers, by affecting many different signalling pathways. This review summarises and analyses the recent research studies describing the biological functions of DLX6-AS1, its overall effect on signalling pathways and the molecular mechanisms underlying its action on the expression of genes in multiple human cancers. Our critical analysis suggests that different signalling pathways associated to this lncRNA may be used as a biomarker for diagnosis, or targets of treatment in cancers.

scholarly journals LncTarD: a manually-curated database of experimentally-supported functional lncRNA–target regulations in human diseases

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongying Zhao ◽  
Jian Shi ◽  
Yunpeng Zhang ◽  
Aimin Xie ◽  
Lei Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Functional Dynamics ◽  
Disease Associations ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Pan Cancer

Abstract Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with human diseases. Although lncRNA–disease associations have received significant attention, no online repository is available to collect lncRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms, key downstream targets, and important biological functions driven by disease-related lncRNAs in human diseases. We thus developed LncTarD (http://biocc.hrbmu.edu.cn/LncTarD/ or http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/LncTarD), a manually-curated database that provides a comprehensive resource of key lncRNA–target regulations, lncRNA-influenced functions, and lncRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms in human diseases. LncTarD offers (i) 2822 key lncRNA–target regulations involving 475 lncRNAs and 1039 targets associated with 177 human diseases; (ii) 1613 experimentally-supported functional regulations and 1209 expression associations in human diseases; (iii) important biological functions driven by disease-related lncRNAs in human diseases; (iv) lncRNA–target regulations responsible for drug resistance or sensitivity in human diseases and (v) lncRNA microarray, lncRNA sequence data and transcriptome data of an 11 373 pan-cancer patient cohort from TCGA to help characterize the functional dynamics of these lncRNA–target regulations. LncTarD also provides a user-friendly interface to conveniently browse, search, and download data. LncTarD will be a useful resource platform for the further understanding of functions and molecular mechanisms of lncRNA deregulation in human disease, which will help to identify novel and sensitive biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNAs in brain tumors: roles and potential as therapeutic targets

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung-Hyun Kim ◽  
Key-Hwan Lim ◽  
Sumin Yang ◽  
Jae-Yeol Joo
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Tumor Therapy ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

AbstractBrain tumors are associated with adverse outcomes despite improvements in radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. However, treatment approaches are evolving, and new biological phenomena are being explored to identify the appropriate treatment of brain tumors. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of non-coding RNA longer than 200 nucleotides, regulate gene expression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic levels and are involved in a variety of biological functions. Recent studies on lncRNAs have revealed their aberrant expression in various cancers, with distinct expression patterns associated with their instrumental roles in cancer. Abnormal expression of lncRNAs has also been identified in brain tumors. Here, we review the potential roles of lncRNAs and their biological functions in the context of brain tumors. We also summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways related to lncRNAs that may guide clinical trials for brain tumor therapy.

scholarly journals Endogenous siRNAs: regulators of internal affairs

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 1174-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica J. Piatek ◽  
Andreas Werner
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Argonaute Proteins ◽  
Genome Protection

Endo-siRNAs (endogenous small-interfering RNAs) have recently emerged as versatile regulators of gene expression. They derive from double-stranded intrinsic transcripts and are processed by Dicer and associate with Argonaute proteins. In Caenorhabditis elegans, endo-siRNAs are known as 22G and 26G RNAs and are involved in genome protection and gene regulation. Drosophila melanogaster endo-siRNAs are produced with the help of specific Dicer and Argonaute isoforms and play an essential role in transposon control and the protection from viral infections. Biological functions of endo-siRNAs in vertebrates include repression of transposable elements and chromatin organization, as well as gene regulation at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

scholarly journals An Overview of Long Non-Coding (lnc)RNAs in Neuroblastoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4234
Author(s):  
Francesca Baldini ◽  
Matilde Calderoni ◽  
Laura Vergani ◽  
Paola Modesto ◽  
Tullio Florio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recent Progress ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Definitive Therapy ◽  
Sporadic Cases ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a heterogeneous developmental tumor occurring in childhood, which arises from the embryonic sympathoadrenal cells of the neural crest. Although the recent progress that has been done on this tumor, the mechanisms involved in NB are still partially unknown. Despite some genetic aberrations having been identified, the sporadic cases represent the majority. Due to its wide heterogeneity in clinical behavior and etiology, NB represents a challenge in terms of prevention and treatment. Since a definitive therapy is lacking so far, there is an urgent necessity to unveil the molecular mechanisms behind NB onset and progression to develop new therapeutic approaches. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides. Whether lncRNAs are destined to become a protein or not, they exert multiple biological functions such as regulating gene expression and functions. In recent decades, different research has highlighted the possible role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cancer. Moreover, lncRNAs may represent potential markers or targets for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This mini-review aimed to briefly summarize the most recent findings on the involvement of some lncRNAs in NB disease by focusing on their mechanisms of action and possible role in unveiling NB onset and progression.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms and Function Prediction of Long Noncoding RNA

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Handong Ma ◽  
Yun Hao ◽  
Xinran Dong ◽  
Qingtian Gong ◽  
Jingqi Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computational Methods ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Noncoding Rnas ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
And Function

The central dogma of gene expression considers RNA as the carrier of genetic information from DNA to protein. However, it has become more and more clear that RNA plays more important roles than simply being the information carrier. Recently, whole genome transcriptomic analyses have identified large numbers of dynamically expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), many of which are involved in a variety of biological functions. Even so, the functions and molecular mechanisms of most lncRNAs still remain elusive. Therefore, it is necessary to develop computational methods to predict the function of lncRNAs in order to accelerate the study of lncRNAs. Here, we review the recent progress in the identification of lncRNAs, the molecular functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs, and the computational methods for predicting the function of lncRNAs.

scholarly journals Hsa_circ_0000673 is down-regulated in gastric cancer and inhibits the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells by targetting miR-532-5p

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Chang ◽  
Furong Wang ◽  
Yumin Li
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Circular Rnas ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Mirna Sponge ◽  
New Class ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Proliferation And Invasion

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a new class of endogenous non-coding RNAs, have recently been known to play critical roles in various cellular biological processes, including tumorigenesis, in which they act as an miRNA sponge that regulates gene expression. Thus, revealing the functions of circRNAs in carcinogenesis and cancer development has been of great interest. However, their expression and functions in gastric cancer (GC) development are still largely unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify novel deregulated circRNAs in GC and reveal their biological functions and molecular mechanisms in GC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the expression levels of circRNAs in GC tissues, cell lines, and plasma. The MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and tumor xenografts in vivo were used to evaluate the effects of circRNAs on the proliferation and invasion of GC. The abovementioned methods coupled with Western blotting were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms. The current study showed that hsa_circ_0000673 was significantly down-regulated in GC. Overexpression of hsa_circ_0000673 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of GC cells. In contrast, hsa_circ_0000673 down-regulation promoted the proliferation and invasion of GC cells. Further studies revealed that hsa_circ_0000673 targetted miR-532-5p and up-regulated the expression of RUNX3. The present study showed that hsa_circ_0000673 was decreased in GC and it exerted tumor-suppressing effects by targetting miR-532-5p and up-regulating RUNX3 expression level. Hsa_circ_0000673 may be a promising diagnosis biomarker and therapeutic target in GC.

scholarly journals Gene Expression-Assisted Cancer Prediction Techniques

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Tanima Thakur ◽  
Isha Batra ◽  
Monica Luthra ◽  
Shanmuganathan Vimal ◽  
Gaurav Dhiman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Gene Expression Data ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Expression Data ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Hybrid Species ◽  
Cancer Prediction ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Prediction Techniques

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases and with its growing number, its detection and treatment become essential. Researchers have developed various methods based on gene expression. Gene expression is a process that is used to convert deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) to ribose nucleic acid (RNA) and then RNA to protein. This protein serves so many purposes, such as creating cells, drugs for cancer, and even hybrid species. As genes carry genetic information from one generation to another, some gene deformity is also transferred to the next generation. Therefore, the deformity needs to be detected. There are many techniques available in the literature to predict cancerous and noncancerous genes from gene expression data. This is an important development from the point of diagnostics and giving a prognosis for the condition. This paper will present a review of some of those techniques from the literature; details about the various datasets on which these techniques are implemented and the advantages and disadvantages.

scholarly journals The Roles of circMTO1 in Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Yuanyuan Xiong ◽  
Renhua Wan ◽  
Renfeng Shan ◽  
Jianfeng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Circular Rna ◽  
Circular Rnas ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Mitochondrial Trna ◽  
Cellular Context ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Translation Optimization

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently discovered type of covalently-closed circular non-coding RNAs, mainly formed by non-sequential back-splicing of precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs). Recent studies have demonstrated that circRNAs can have either oncogenic or tumor-suppressor roles depending on the cellular context. CircRNA mitochondrial tRNA translation optimization 1 (circMTO1), a recently reported circular RNA originating from exons of MTO1 located on chromosome 6q13, was proved to be abnormally expressed in many malignant tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric carcinoma and colorectal cancer, resulting in tumor initiation and progression. However, there are no reviews focusing on the roles of circMTO1 in cancer. Here, we first summarize the main biological characteristics of circMTO1, and then focus on its biological functions and the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, we summarize the roles of circMTO1 in cancer and discuss future prospects in this area of research.

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