Chan Hsiao Chang, Jiang Xiaohua, Ruan Ye Chun
Faculty of Medicine, Epithelial Cell Biology Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education of China, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2014 Sep;41(9):615-22. doi: 10.1111/1440-1681.12271.
Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as one of the important epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression in response to changes in the environment, the links between environmental cues and changes in miRNAs remain largely unknown. Localized to the cell membrane and recognized as an anion channel, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has recently been shown to mediate important signalling pathways leading to activation of miRNAs. This brief review summarizes the related findings and discusses the emerging role of CFTR as an epigenetic regulator, possibly involved in a wide spectrum of physiological and pathological processes.
尽管微小RNA（miRNA）已被公认为是一种重要的表观遗传机制，可响应环境变化调节基因表达，但环境线索与miRNA变化之间的联系仍 largely unknown。囊性纤维化跨膜传导调节因子（CFTR）定位于细胞膜，被认为是一种阴离子通道，最近已被证明可介导导致miRNA激活的重要信号通路。本简要综述总结了相关发现，并讨论了CFTR作为一种表观遗传调节因子的新作用，其可能参与广泛的生理和病理过程。
