Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Ghent, Belgium.
Bioessays. 2011 Nov;33(11):791-802. doi: 10.1002/bies.201100047. Epub 2011 Sep 28.
In this paper, we hypothesize that X chromosome-associated mechanisms, which affect X-linked genes and are behind the immunological advantage of females, may also affect X-linked microRNAs. The human X chromosome contains 10% of all microRNAs detected so far in the human genome. Although the role of most of them has not yet been described, several X chromosome-located microRNAs have important functions in immunity and cancer. We therefore provide a detailed map of all described microRNAs located on human and mouse X chromosomes, and highlight the ones involved in immune functions and oncogenesis. The unique mode of inheritance of the X chromosome is ultimately the cause of the immune disadvantage of males and the enhanced survival of females following immunological challenges. How these aspects influence X-linked microRNAs will be a challenge for researchers in the coming years, not only from an evolutionary point of view, but also from the perspective of disease etiology.
在本文中，我们假设 X 染色体相关机制可能影响 X 连锁基因，并为女性的免疫优势提供支持，也可能影响 X 连锁 microRNA。人类 X 染色体包含迄今为止在人类基因组中检测到的所有 microRNA 的 10%。尽管它们中的大多数作用尚未被描述，但几个位于 X 染色体上的 microRNA 在免疫和癌症中具有重要功能。因此，我们提供了人类和小鼠 X 染色体上所有描述的 microRNA 的详细图谱，并强调了那些参与免疫功能和肿瘤发生的 microRNA。X 染色体独特的遗传模式最终导致男性在免疫挑战下的免疫劣势和女性的生存能力增强。这些方面如何影响 X 连锁 microRNA 将是未来几年研究人员面临的挑战，不仅从进化的角度，而且从疾病病因学的角度来看也是如此。
