Institute for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Front Immunol. 2020 Sep 9;11:2185. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02185. eCollection 2020.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical posttranscriptional regulators of the immune system, including function and development of regulatory T (Treg) cells. Although this critical role has been firmly demonstrated through genetic models, key mechanisms of miRNA function remain elusive. Here, we review the role of miRNAs in Treg cell development and function. In particular, we focus on the question what the study of miRNAs in this context reveals about miRNA biology in general, including context-dependent function and the role of individual targets vs. complex co-targeting networks. In addition, we highlight potential technical pitfalls and state-of-the-art approaches to improve the mechanistic understanding of miRNA biology in a physiological context.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）已成为免疫系统的关键转录后调控因子，包括调节性 T（Treg）细胞的功能和发育。尽管通过遗传模型已经明确证明了这一关键作用，但 miRNA 功能的关键机制仍不清楚。在这里，我们回顾了 miRNAs 在 Treg 细胞发育和功能中的作用。特别是，我们关注的问题是，在这种情况下研究 miRNAs 揭示了 miRNA 生物学的一般情况，包括依赖于上下文的功能以及单个靶标与复杂的共同靶标网络的作用。此外，我们还强调了潜在的技术陷阱和最新方法，以改善生理环境中 miRNA 生物学的机制理解。
