Van den Brande Stijn, Gijbels Marijke, Wynant Niels, Peeters Paulien, Gansemans Yannick, Van Nieuwerburgh Filip, Santos Dulce, Vanden Broeck Jozef
Research group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Zoological Institute, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Curr Res Insect Sci. 2022 Jun 17;2:100041. doi: 10.1016/j.cris.2022.100041. eCollection 2022.
Since the discovery of the first microRNA (miRNA) in the nematode , numerous novel miRNAs have been identified which can regulate presumably every biological process in a wide range of metazoan species. In accordance, several insect miRNAs have been identified and functionally characterized. While regulatory RNA pathways are traditionally described at an intracellular level, studies reporting on the presence and potential role of extracellular (small) sRNAs have been emerging in the last decade, mainly in mammalian systems. Interestingly, evidence in several species indicates the functional transfer of extracellular RNAs between donor and recipient cells, illustrating RNA-based intercellular communication. In insects, however, reports on extracellular small RNAs are emerging but the number of detailed studies is still very limited. Here, we demonstrate the presence of stable sRNAs in the hemolymph of the migratory locust, . Moreover, the levels of several extracellular miRNAs (ex-miRNAs) present in locust hemolymph differed significantly between young and old fifth nymphal instars. In addition, we performed a 'proof of principle' experiment which suggested that extracellularly delivered miRNA molecules are capable of affecting the locusts' development.
自在线虫中发现首个微小RNA（miRNA）以来，已鉴定出众多新型miRNA，它们可能调控多种后生动物物种的几乎所有生物学过程。相应地，已鉴定出多种昆虫miRNA并对其进行了功能表征。传统上，调控RNA途径是在细胞内水平进行描述的，但在过去十年中，有关细胞外（小）sRNA的存在及其潜在作用的研究不断涌现，主要集中在哺乳动物系统中。有趣的是，多个物种的证据表明细胞外RNA可在供体细胞和受体细胞之间进行功能转移，这说明了基于RNA的细胞间通讯。然而，在昆虫中，有关细胞外小RNA的报道不断出现，但详细研究的数量仍然非常有限。在此，我们证明了飞蝗血淋巴中存在稳定的sRNA。此外，飞蝗血淋巴中存在的几种细胞外miRNA（ex-miRNA）的水平在五龄若虫的幼龄和老龄之间存在显著差异。此外，我们进行了一项“原理验证”实验，结果表明细胞外递送的miRNA分子能够影响蝗虫的发育。
