LACDR/LUMC/Medical Pharmacology Dpt., Gorlaeus Laboratories, Einsteinweg 55, 2333CC Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
Front Neuroendocrinol. 2010 Apr;31(2):128-33. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2009.08.001. Epub 2009 Aug 13.
The brain is of bewildering complexity and numerous genes and signaling molecules have been described that affect the architecture and functioning of specific neuronal circuits. Recent evidence from genome analysis revealed the existence of a large group of novel RNA molecules with unexpected properties. One such group is called microRNAs, which are small 21-23 nucleotides RNA molecules that are transcribed by the genome. However, they are not translated into proteins but rather control translation of coding mRNA. Particularly in the brain, numerous different microRNAs are expressed in a cell type specific fashion both during development and in adulthood. Aberrant microRNA expression has been implicated in several human diseases including CNS diseases. The aim of this review is to emphasize their role in the development of the brain and their function. In addition, we highlight recent findings on the evolution of mammalian microRNAs and their effect on steroid signaling in the brain.
大脑具有令人困惑的复杂性，已经描述了许多影响特定神经元回路结构和功能的基因和信号分子。最近的基因组分析证据揭示了存在一大类具有意外特性的新型 RNA 分子。其中一组称为 microRNAs，它们是由基因组转录的 21-23 个核苷酸的小 RNA 分子。然而，它们不会被翻译成蛋白质，而是控制编码 mRNA 的翻译。特别是在大脑中，许多不同的 microRNAs 在发育和成年期以细胞类型特异性的方式表达。异常的 microRNA 表达与包括中枢神经系统疾病在内的几种人类疾病有关。本综述的目的是强调它们在大脑发育中的作用及其功能。此外，我们还强调了哺乳动物 microRNAs 的进化及其对大脑中类固醇信号的影响的最新发现。
