Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA.
Physiol Rev. 2011 Jul;91(3):827-87. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00006.2010.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of posttranscriptional regulators that have recently introduced an additional level of intricacy to our understanding of gene regulation. There are currently over 10,000 miRNAs that have been identified in a range of species including metazoa, mycetozoa, viridiplantae, and viruses, of which 940, to date, are found in humans. It is estimated that more than 60% of human protein-coding genes harbor miRNA target sites in their 3' untranslated region and, thus, are potentially regulated by these molecules in health and disease. This review will first briefly describe the discovery, structure, and mode of function of miRNAs in mammalian cells, before elaborating on their roles and significance during development and pathogenesis in the various mammalian organs, while attempting to reconcile their functions with our existing knowledge of their targets. Finally, we will summarize some of the advances made in utilizing miRNAs in therapeutics.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) 是一类转录后调控因子,它们最近为我们对基因调控的理解增添了一个额外的复杂层次。目前,在包括后生动物、黏菌、绿色植物和病毒在内的一系列物种中已经发现了超过 10000 种 miRNAs,其中 940 种迄今为止在人类中被发现。据估计,超过 60%的人类蛋白质编码基因在其 3'非翻译区含有 miRNA 靶位点,因此这些基因可能在健康和疾病中受到这些分子的调控。本综述将首先简要描述 miRNA 在哺乳动物细胞中的发现、结构和功能模式,然后详细阐述它们在哺乳动物各器官的发育和发病机制中的作用和意义,同时尝试将它们的功能与其靶标的现有知识相协调。最后,我们将总结在利用 miRNA 进行治疗方面取得的一些进展。