环状 RNA 的研究进展

摘要

环状RNA（circular RNA，circRNA）是一种新兴的内源性非编码RNA（noncoding RNA，ncRNA），在最近几年逐渐受到广泛关注，是目前RNA研究的热点。 circRNA通过外显子环化或内含子环化将3′和5′末端连接起来形成完整的环形结构，因而比线性RNA更稳定，更具有保守性，可在生物体中以多种类型大量存在。近年来越来越多的研究者发现，circRNA在基因表达调控中具有重要作用，这丰富了人们对内源性非编码RNA的认识，提示circRNA在临床诊断和治疗方面具有广阔的前景。文中将从circRNA的发生机制、特征、功能及与疾病的关系等方面对近年来国内外的研究进展作一综述。%Circular RNA ( circRNA) , a novel type of endogenous non-coding RNA ( ncRNA) , has been broadly taken into account during recent years as a research hot-spot.Unlike linear RNA, circRNA form covalently closed loop structure by jointing 3′and 5′ends together via exon circularization or intron circularization.Through which way it is more stable and conserved than linear RNA.Besides, circRNAs are abundant and multiple existences in creatures have been revealed.Nowadays, an increasing number of researchers have found that circRNA plays an essential role in the regulation of gene expression, which has broadened the view of di-verse endogenous noncoding RNA, and therefore hints that circRNA has great potential in clinical diagnosis and treatment of disease. In this paper, we make an overview of the latest research about circRNAs from the aspects of generation, character, function, and the relationship with diseases, and so on.