Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Neuroendocrinology. 2013;98(4):243-53. doi: 10.1159/000355619. Epub 2013 Sep 21.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short (∼22 nucleotides) non-coding ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules that negatively regulate the expression of protein-coding genes. Posttranscriptional silencing of target genes by miRNA is initiated by binding to the 3'-untranslated regions of target mRNAs, resulting in specific cleavage and subsequent degradation of the mRNA or by translational repression resulting in specific inhibition of protein synthesis. An increasing amount of evidence shows that miRNAs control a large number of biological processes and there exists a direct link between miRNAs and disease. miRNA molecules are abundantly expressed in tissue-specific and regional patterns and have been suggested as potential biomarkers, disease modulators and drug targets. The central nervous system is a prominent site of miRNA expression. Within the brain, several miRNAs are expressed and/or enriched in the region of the hypothalamus and miRNAs have recently been shown to be important regulators of hypothalamic control functions. The aim of this review is to summarize some of the current knowledge regarding the expression and role of miRNAs in the hypothalamus.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）是短的（约 22 个核苷酸）非编码核糖核酸（RNA）分子，它们负调控蛋白编码基因的表达。miRNA 通过与靶 mRNAs 的 3'非翻译区结合，起始靶基因的转录后沉默，导致 mRNA 的特异性切割和随后的降解，或者通过翻译抑制导致蛋白质合成的特异性抑制。越来越多的证据表明，miRNAs 控制着大量的生物过程，miRNAs 与疾病之间存在直接联系。miRNA 分子在组织特异性和区域模式中大量表达，并被认为是潜在的生物标志物、疾病调节剂和药物靶点。中枢神经系统是 miRNA 表达的主要部位。在大脑中，有几种 miRNA 在下丘脑区域表达和/或富集，最近发现 miRNA 是下丘脑控制功能的重要调节因子。本综述的目的是总结目前关于 miRNA 在下丘脑表达和作用的一些知识。
