Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for microRNA Biology and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
RNA. 2013 Jun;19(6):737-9. doi: 10.1261/rna.036319.112. Epub 2013 Apr 3.
It has long been known that microRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate target gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Recent studies, however, have revealed that miRNAs can also be transported from donor cells to recipient cells, in which these RNAs function in a novel manner as ligands of Toll-like receptors. Here, we review the latest findings on these unconventional miRNAs, with special emphasis on their biological significance.
长期以来，人们一直知道 microRNAs（miRNAs）可以在转录后水平调节靶基因的表达。然而，最近的研究表明，miRNAs 也可以从供体细胞运输到受体细胞，在受体细胞中，这些 RNA 以 Toll 样受体配体的新方式发挥作用。在这里，我们回顾了这些非常规 miRNAs 的最新发现，特别强调了它们的生物学意义。
