Zhao Juanjuan, Zhou Ya, Guo Mengmeng, Yue Dongxu, Chen Chao, Liang Guiyou, Xu Lin
School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025 Guizhou China.
Department of Medical Physics, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 Guizhou China.
Cell Biosci. 2020 Jun 10;10:77. doi: 10.1186/s13578-020-00436-w. eCollection 2020.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and play critical roles in regulating physiological function, and are becoming worldwide research hot spot in brain development and diseases. However, the exact value of miRNAs in brain physiological and pathological processes remain to be fully elucidated, which is vital for the application of miRNAs as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers for brain diseases. MicroRNA-7 (miR-7), as a highly expressed miRNA molecule in the mammalian brain, is well documented to play a critical role in development of various diseases. Importantly, accumulating evidence has shown that miR-7 is involved in a range of developmental and pathological processes of brain. Expressively, miR-7, encoded by three genes located different chromosomes, is dominantly expressed in neurons with sensory or neurosecretory. Moreover, the expression of miR-7 is regulated at three levels including gene transcription, process of primary and precursor sequence and formation of mature sequence. Physiologically, miR-7 principally governs the physiological development of Pituitary gland, Optic nervous system and Cerebral cortex. Pathologically, miR-7 can regulate multiple genes thereby manipulating the process of various brain diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation, and mental disorders and so on. These emerging studies have shown that miR-7, a representative member of miRNA family, might be a novel intrinsic regulatory molecule involved in the physiological and pathological process of brain. Therefore, in-depth studies on the role of miR-7 in brain physiology and pathology undoubtedly not only provide a light on the roles of miRNAs in brain development and diseases, but also are much helpful for ultimate development of therapeutic strategies against brain diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of current scientific knowledge regarding the expression and function of miR-7 in development and disease of brain and raise many issues involved in the relationship between miR-7 and brain physiological and pathological processes.
微小RNA（miRNA）是一类小的非编码RNA，它们在转录后水平调节基因表达，并在调节生理功能中发挥关键作用，正成为脑发育和疾病领域的全球研究热点。然而，miRNA在脑生理和病理过程中的确切价值仍有待充分阐明，这对于将miRNA用作脑疾病的诊断、预后和治疗生物标志物至关重要。微小RNA-7（miR-7）作为哺乳动物脑中高表达的miRNA分子，在多种疾病的发生发展中发挥关键作用已得到充分证明。重要的是，越来越多的证据表明miR-7参与了脑的一系列发育和病理过程。具体而言，由位于不同染色体上的三个基因编码的miR-7主要在具有感觉或神经分泌功能的神经元中表达。此外，miR-7的表达在基因转录、初级和前体序列加工以及成熟序列形成三个水平上受到调控。生理上，miR-7主要调控垂体、视神经和大脑皮层的生理发育。病理上，miR-7可以调节多个基因，从而调控包括神经退行性疾病、神经炎症和精神障碍等多种脑疾病的进程。这些新出现的研究表明，miR-7作为miRNA家族的代表性成员，可能是参与脑生理和病理过程的一种新型内在调节分子。因此，深入研究miR-7在脑生理和病理中的作用，无疑不仅有助于了解miRNA在脑发育和疾病中的作用，也对最终开发针对脑疾病的治疗策略有很大帮助。在本综述中，我们概述了目前关于miR-7在脑发育和疾病中的表达及功能的科学知识，并提出了许多涉及miR-7与脑生理和病理过程之间关系的问题。
