Jung Y, Goldman D
Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland.
Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland.
Genes Brain Behav. 2018 Mar;17(3):e12444. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12444.
Much progress in our understanding of RNA metabolism has been made since the first RNA nucleoside modification was identified in 1957. Many of these modifications are found in noncoding RNAs but recent interest has focused on coding RNAs. Here, we summarize current knowledge of cellular consequences of RNA modifications, with a special emphasis on neuropsychiatric disorders. We present evidence for the existence of an "RNA code," similar to the histone code, that fine-tunes gene expression in the nervous system by using combinations of different RNA modifications. Unlike the relatively stable genetic code, this combinatorial RNA epigenetic code, or epitranscriptome, may be dynamically reprogrammed as a cause or consequence of psychiatric disorders. We discuss potential mechanisms linking disregulation of the epitranscriptome with brain disorders and identify potential new avenues of research.
自1957年首次发现RNA核苷修饰以来，我们对RNA代谢的理解取得了很大进展。这些修饰中的许多存在于非编码RNA中，但最近的研究兴趣集中在编码RNA上。在这里，我们总结了目前关于RNA修饰的细胞后果的知识，特别强调了神经精神疾病。我们提供证据表明存在一种类似于组蛋白密码的“RNA密码”，它通过使用不同RNA修饰的组合来微调神经系统中的基因表达。与相对稳定的遗传密码不同，这种组合式RNA表观遗传密码或表观转录组可能会作为精神疾病的原因或后果而被动态重新编程。我们讨论了将表观转录组失调与脑部疾病联系起来的潜在机制，并确定了潜在的新研究途径。
