The Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
WIREs Mech Dis. 2022 Nov;14(6):e1572. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1572. Epub 2022 Jul 19.
Small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) are pieces of RNA with a length below 200 bp and represent a diverse group of RNAs having many different biological functions. The best described subtype is the microRNAs which primarily function in posttranscriptional gene regulation and appear essential for most physiological processes. Of particular interest for the germline is the PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) which are a class of sncRNA of 21-35 bp in length that are almost exclusively found in germ cells. Recently, it has become clear that piRNAs are essential for testicular function, and in this perspective, we outline the current knowledge of piRNAs in humans. Although piRNAs appear unique to germ cells, they have also been described in various somatic cancers and biofluids. Here, we discuss the potential function of piRNAs in somatic tissues and whether detection in biofluids may be used as a biomarker for testicular function. This article is categorized under: Reproductive System Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Reproductive System Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
小非编码 RNA（sncRNA）是指长度小于 200bp 的 RNA 片段，它们是具有多种不同生物学功能的 RNA 大家族。其中研究最为透彻的是 microRNAs，其主要在转录后基因调控中发挥作用，对于大多数生理过程似乎都是必不可少的。特别值得关注的是 PIWI 相互作用 RNA（piRNA），它们是一类长度为 21-35bp 的 sncRNA，几乎只存在于生殖细胞中。最近，piRNA 对于睾丸功能的重要性已变得清晰明了，因此，我们概述了目前人类对 piRNA 的认识。尽管 piRNA 似乎是生殖细胞所特有的，但在各种体细胞癌和生物体液中也有描述。在这里，我们讨论了 piRNA 在体细胞组织中的潜在功能，以及在生物体液中的检测是否可以用作睾丸功能的生物标志物。本文属于以下分类：生殖系统疾病 > 遗传学/基因组学/表观遗传学 生殖系统疾病 > 分子和细胞生理学。
