Cordes Kimberly R, Srivastava Deepak, Ivey Kathryn N
Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
Pediatr Cardiol. 2010 Apr;31(3):349-56. doi: 10.1007/s00246-010-9639-3. Epub 2010 Feb 7.
The transcriptional regulation of cardiovascular development requires precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression, and heterozygous mutations of transcription factors have frequently been implicated in human cardiovascular malformations. A novel mechanism involving post-transcriptional regulation by small, noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) has emerged as a central regulator of many cardiogenic processes. We are beginning to understand the functions that miRNAs play during essential biologic processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, stress response, and tumorigenesis. The identification of miRNAs expressed in specific cardiac and vascular cell types has led to the discovery of important regulatory roles for these small RNAs during cardiomyocyte differentiation, cell cycle, conduction, and vessel formation. Here, we overview the recent findings on miRNA regulation in cardiovascular development. Further analysis of miRNA function during cardiovascular development will allow us to determine the potential for novel miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.
心血管发育的转录调控需要对基因表达进行精确的时空控制，转录因子的杂合突变常常与人类心血管畸形有关。一种涉及由小的非编码微小RNA（miRNA）进行转录后调控的新机制，已成为许多心脏发生过程的核心调节因子。我们开始了解miRNA在诸如细胞增殖、分化、凋亡、应激反应和肿瘤发生等重要生物学过程中所起的作用。在特定心脏和血管细胞类型中表达的miRNA的鉴定，已导致发现这些小RNA在心肌细胞分化、细胞周期、传导和血管形成过程中的重要调节作用。在此，我们概述了关于miRNA在心血管发育中调控的最新发现。对心血管发育过程中miRNA功能的进一步分析，将使我们能够确定基于miRNA的新型治疗策略的潜力。
