Qin Tao, Li Juan, Zhang Ke-Qin
State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.
Front Genet. 2020 Mar 3;11:150. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00150. eCollection 2020.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including linear lncRNAs and circular RNAs (circRNAs), exhibit a surprising range of structures. Linear lncRNAs and circRNAs are generated by different pathways. Linear lncRNAs perform functions that depend on their specific sequences, transcription, and DNA elements of their gene loci. In some cases, linear lncRNAs contain a short open reading frame encoding a peptide. circRNAs are covalently closed RNAs with tissue-specific and cell-specific expression patterns that have recently been extensively investigated. Pioneering work focusing on their biogenesis and functional characterization indicates that circRNAs regulate cell development via multiple mechanisms and play critical roles in the immune system. Furthermore, circRNAs in exosomes function on target cells. As with linear lncRNAs, specific circRNAs can also be translated. In this review, we summarize current understanding and highlight the diverse structure, regulation, and function of linear lncRNAs and circRNAs.
长链非编码RNA（lncRNA），包括线性lncRNA和环状RNA（circRNA），具有惊人的多种结构。线性lncRNA和circRNA通过不同途径产生。线性lncRNA发挥的功能取决于其特定序列、转录以及其基因座的DNA元件。在某些情况下，线性lncRNA包含一个编码肽的短开放阅读框。circRNA是具有组织特异性和细胞特异性表达模式的共价闭合RNA，最近受到了广泛研究。专注于其生物发生和功能表征的开创性工作表明，circRNA通过多种机制调节细胞发育，并在免疫系统中发挥关键作用。此外，外泌体中的circRNA对靶细胞起作用。与线性lncRNA一样，特定的circRNA也可以被翻译。在本综述中，我们总结了当前的认识，并强调了线性lncRNA和circRNA的多样结构、调控和功能。
