摘要
环状RNA(circular RNAs,circRNAs)是一类共价闭合环状非编码RNA,具有进化上保守、结构上稳定、组织特异性表达等特点。CircRNAs可作为miRNAs海绵影响其对基因的调控,还可与RNA结合蛋白(RNA binding proteins,RBPs)相互作用,也有研究表明某些circRNAs还具有被翻译成蛋白质的潜能。CircRNAs已被证实对某些疾病具有特异性、稳定性和调节功能,如癌症、糖尿病、心血管疾病、神经退行性疾病等,其可作为潜在的诊断、预后生物标志物和治疗靶点。最近,有研究发现circRNAs参与了环境化学污染物诱导的毒性效应发生及发展的过程。目前,生态毒理学研究中评价环境化学污染物和毒效应之间关系的毒性终点通常会受遗传多态性和表观遗传学影响,考虑到经环境化学污染物暴露后生物体内circRNAs差异性表达的现象,或许在生态毒理学研究中circRNAs也有作为生物标志物的可能性。基于此,对circRNAs的生物合成与降解、生物学功能、分析方法及其目前在生态毒理学研究中的应用展开综述,并对其作为分子生物标志物在环境污染物暴露早期诊断和生态风险评价中的应用进行了展望,以期为生态毒理学研究和环境风险评价提供参考。
Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are a class of covalent closed ring noncoding RNA,which has the characteristics of conservative evolution,stable structure and tissue specific expression.CircRNAs can act as miRNAs sponges to affect the regulation of genes,and interact with RNA binding proteins(RBPs).Some studies have shown that some circRNAs have the potential to be translated into proteins.CircRNAs has been proved to have specificity,stability and regulatory function for some diseases,such as cancer,diabetes,cardiovascular diseases,neurodegenerative diseases,etc.They can be used as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis and therapeutic targets.Recently,it has been found that circRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of toxic effects induced by environmental chemical pollutants.At present,the toxicity endpoint of evaluating the relationship between chemical pollutants and toxic effects of environmental pollutants in ecotoxicology research is usually affected by genetic polymorphism and epigenetics.Considering the phenomenon of differential expression of circRNAs in organisms after exposure to environmental chemical pollutants,circRNAs may also be used as biomarkers in ecotoxicological researches.Based on the above,the biosynthesis and degradation,biological functions,analytical methods of circRNAs and their current applications in ecotoxicology were reviewed,and the application of circRNAs as molecular biomarkers in early diagnosis and ecological risk assessment of environmental pollutant exposure was prospected,in order to provide reference for ecotoxicological researches and environmental risk assessment.
作者
王瑞
李亮
WANG Rui;LI Liang(Student Affair Office,Nantong University,Jiangsu Nantong 226019,China;Biotechnology Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Beijing 100081,China)
出处
《生物技术进展》
2021年第1期16-25,共10页
Current Biotechnology
