European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Mouse Biology Unit, Monterotondo Scalo, Italy.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Jan;38(1):39-54. doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.87. Epub 2012 Jun 6.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that mediate posttranscriptional gene suppression in a sequence-specific manner. The ability of a single miRNA species to target multiple messenger RNAs (mRNAs) makes miRNAs exceptionally important regulators of various cellular functions. The regulatory capacity of miRNAs is increased further by the miRNA ability to suppress gene expression using multiple mechanisms that range from translational inhibition to mRNA degradation. The high miRNA diversity multiplied by the large number of individual miRNA targets generates a vast regulatory RNA network than enables flexible control of mRNA expression. The gene-regulatory capacity and diversity of miRNAs is particularly valuable in the brain, where functional specialization of neurons and persistent flow of information requires constant neuronal adaptation to environmental cues. In this review we will summarize the current knowledge about miRNA biogenesis and miRNA expression regulation with a focus on the role of miRNAs in the mammalian nervous system.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) 是小的非编码 RNA，以序列特异性方式介导转录后基因抑制。单个 miRNA 物种能够靶向多个信使 RNA (mRNA) 的能力使 miRNAs 成为各种细胞功能的重要调节因子。miRNA 抑制基因表达的能力进一步增强，其使用多种机制，范围从翻译抑制到 mRNA 降解。高 miRNA 多样性乘以大量单个 miRNA 靶标，产生了一个庞大的调节 RNA 网络，使 mRNA 表达能够灵活控制。miRNAs 的基因调节能力和多样性在大脑中特别有价值，因为神经元的功能特化和信息的持续流动需要神经元不断适应环境线索。在这篇综述中，我们将总结 miRNA 生物发生和 miRNA 表达调控的最新知识，重点介绍 miRNA 在哺乳动物神经系统中的作用。
