Christchurch Heart Institute, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Biostatistics and Computational Biology Unit, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
RNA Biol. 2021 Dec;18(12):2055-2072. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1891393. Epub 2021 Mar 28.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an evolutionarily conserved form of noncoding RNA with covalently closed loop structures. Initial studies established a functional role for circRNAs as potent microRNA sponges and many other studies have focussed solely on this. However, the biological functions of most circRNAs are still undetermined and other functional roles are gaining traction. These include protein sponges and regulators, and coding for proteins with an alternative mechanism of translation, potentially opening up a whole new transcriptome. The first step to gaining insight into circRNA function is accurate identification and various software platforms have been developed. Specialized detection software has now evolved into whole bioinformatics pipelines that can be used for detection, identification, functional prediction, and validation of circRNAs. However, few cardiovascular circRNA studies have utilized these tools. This review summarizes current knowledge of circRNA biogenesis, bioinformatic detection tools and the emerging role of circRNAs in cardiovascular disease.
环状 RNA（circRNAs）是一种保守的非编码 RNA 形式，具有共价闭环结构。最初的研究确立了 circRNAs 作为有效的 microRNA 海绵的功能作用，许多其他研究也仅专注于此。然而，大多数 circRNAs 的生物学功能仍未确定，其他功能作用也在逐渐受到关注。这些功能包括作为蛋白质海绵和调节剂，以及通过替代翻译机制编码蛋白质，可能会开辟一个全新的转录组。深入了解 circRNA 功能的第一步是准确识别，为此已经开发了各种软件平台。专门的检测软件现已演变为完整的生物信息学管道，可用于检测、识别、功能预测和验证 circRNAs。然而，很少有心血管 circRNA 研究利用了这些工具。本综述总结了 circRNA 生物发生、生物信息学检测工具以及 circRNAs 在心血管疾病中的新兴作用的现有知识。
