State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Front Immunol. 2023 Apr 21;14:1176966. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176966. eCollection 2023.
The interaction between bacteria and insects can significantly impact a wide range of different areas because bacteria and insects are widely distributed around the globe. The bacterial-insect interactions have the potential to directly affect human health since insects are vectors for disease transmission, and their interactions can also have economic consequences. In addition, they have been linked to high mortality rates in economically important insects, resulting in substantial economic losses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are types of non-coding RNAs involved in regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. The length of miRNAs ranges from 19 to 22 nucleotides. MiRNAs, in addition to their ability to exhibit dynamic expression patterns, have a diverse range of targets. This enables them to govern various physiological activities in insects, like innate immune responses. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs have a crucial biological role in bacterial infection by influencing immune responses and other mechanisms for resistance. This review focuses on some of the most recent and exciting discoveries made in recent years, including the correlation between the dysregulation of miRNA expression in the context of bacterial infection and the progression of the infection. Furthermore, it describes how they profoundly impact the immune responses of the host by targeting the Toll, IMD, and JNK signaling pathways. It also emphasizes the biological function of miRNAs in regulating immune responses in insects. Finally, it also discusses current knowledge gaps about the function of miRNAs in insect immunity, in addition to areas that require more research in the future.
细菌和昆虫之间的相互作用可以显著影响广泛的不同领域，因为细菌和昆虫在全球范围内广泛分布。细菌-昆虫相互作用有可能直接影响人类健康，因为昆虫是疾病传播的媒介，它们的相互作用也会产生经济后果。此外，它们与经济重要昆虫的高死亡率有关，导致了巨大的经济损失。微小 RNA（miRNA）是参与转录后基因表达调控的非编码 RNA 类型。miRNA 的长度范围为 19 到 22 个核苷酸。miRNA 除了能够表现出动态的表达模式外，还有广泛的靶标。这使它们能够在昆虫中调节各种生理活动，如先天免疫反应。越来越多的证据表明，miRNA 在细菌感染中通过影响免疫反应和其他抵抗机制发挥着至关重要的生物学作用。本综述重点介绍了近年来一些最新和令人兴奋的发现，包括 miRNA 表达在细菌感染背景下失调与感染进展之间的相关性。此外，还描述了它们如何通过靶向 Toll、IMD 和 JNK 信号通路来深刻影响宿主的免疫反应。还强调了 miRNA 在调节昆虫免疫反应中的生物学功能。最后，还讨论了 miRNA 在昆虫免疫中的功能的当前知识空白，以及未来需要更多研究的领域。
