DNA的“暗物质”与骨代谢调控：非编码RNA的作用

Yavropoulou Maria P, Yovos John G

Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2018 Mar 1;18(1):18-31.

Epigenetics, present a new discipline that attempts to explain significant differences in phenotypes among patients with the same disease. In contrast to the other epigenetic mechanisms that modulate gene transcription, non-coding RNAs act at the post-transcriptional level. They directly modulate the gene expression of mRNA genes leading to mRNA target cleavage and degradation and translation repression. Bioinformatic predictions indicate that non coding RNAs may be involved in the regulation of 60% of the coding genes and each non-coding RNA can have multiple target genes, and each gene may be regulated by more than one non-coding RNAs. In the last decade several studies have shown a significant role of non-coding RNAs in the regulation of bone metabolism and function of bone cells opening a new era in the understanding of bone biology in health and disease.

表观遗传学是一门新学科，试图解释患有相同疾病的患者之间表型的显著差异。与其他调节基因转录的表观遗传机制不同，非编码RNA在转录后水平起作用。它们直接调节mRNA基因的基因表达，导致mRNA靶标切割、降解和翻译抑制。生物信息学预测表明，非编码RNA可能参与60%的编码基因的调控，每个非编码RNA可以有多个靶基因，每个基因可能受不止一种非编码RNA的调控。在过去十年中，多项研究表明非编码RNA在骨代谢调节和骨细胞功能中发挥着重要作用，为理解健康和疾病状态下的骨生物学开启了一个新时代。