Zhu Zuobin, Li Ying, Liang Mengyu, Wang Lei, Wang Liang, Rizak Joshua D, Han Conghui, Zhang Wenda
Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Medical Technology School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Front Genet. 2020 Mar 25;11:190. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00190. eCollection 2020.
In , the binding of Piwi protein to a non-coding RNA form, called piRNA, has been found to be important to both reproductive and aging processes. As the biosynthesis of piRNA is modulated by mitochondrial function, it is likely that the interaction between mitochondrial function and piRNA expression plays an unknown, yet important, role in reproductive and aging processes because both processes are known to be affected by declines in mitochondrial quality and activity. While the relationship between reproduction and longevity is not characterized in full, the optimality theory of aging and the disposable soma theory suggest that a trade-off between energy and resources is needed for reproductive and aging maintenance. In this study, the influence of mitochondrial variations, via a respiratory chain complex IV (COX1) polymorphism, on piRNA expression was examined in relation to the reproductive and aging outcomes of . The COX1 polymorphism in mitochondria was found to affect the number of piRNAs expressed, the development of germ cells, and the length of the lifespan of the nematodes. Interestingly, more than two-thirds of the piRNA expression changes associated with the mitochondrial variation were found to also be affected by age. A gene ontology analysis of the altered piRNA species found that the piRNAs affected by mitochondrial variation and age were linked to genes known to have roles in reproductive and developmental function. Moreover, a piRNA-lncRNA-mRNA regulatory network based on the differential expression patterns of piRNA related to the mitochondrial variation was constructed to further identify potential gene targets with functional interactions. Similarly, this network identified genes involved in reproduction, development, and aging processes. These findings provide new insight into understanding how mitochondrial variations may regulate piRNA expression and may influence the underlying molecular mechanisms that affect reproduction and aging.
在[具体情境未提及]中，人们发现Piwi蛋白与一种名为piRNA的非编码RNA形式的结合对生殖和衰老过程都很重要。由于piRNA的生物合成受线粒体功能调节，线粒体功能与piRNA表达之间的相互作用很可能在生殖和衰老过程中发挥着未知但重要的作用，因为已知这两个过程都会受到线粒体质量和活性下降的影响。虽然生殖与寿命之间的关系尚未完全明确，但衰老的最优性理论和废弃体细胞理论表明，生殖和衰老维持需要在能量和资源之间进行权衡。在本研究中，通过呼吸链复合物IV（COX1）多态性研究了线粒体变异对piRNA表达的影响，并将其与[具体情境未提及]的生殖和衰老结果相关联。发现线粒体中的COX1多态性会影响所表达的piRNA数量、生殖细胞的发育以及线虫的寿命长度。有趣的是，发现与线粒体变异相关的piRNA表达变化中超过三分之二也受到年龄的影响。对改变的piRNA种类进行基因本体分析发现，受线粒体变异和年龄影响的piRNA与已知在生殖和发育功能中起作用的基因相关联。此外，基于与线粒体变异相关的piRNA差异表达模式构建了piRNA-lncRNA-mRNA调控网络，以进一步鉴定具有功能相互作用的潜在基因靶点。同样，该网络鉴定出参与生殖、发育和衰老过程的基因。这些发现为理解线粒体变异如何调节piRNA表达以及可能影响影响生殖和衰老的潜在分子机制提供了新的见解。
