Patel Mahammed Zaid, Jiang Yuguan, Kakumani Pavan Kumar
Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2024 Dec 9;12:1495035. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1495035. eCollection 2024.
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that bind to the PIWI subclass of the Argonaute protein family and are essential for maintaining germline integrity. Initially discovered in , PIWI proteins safeguard piRNAs, forming ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, crucial for regulating gene expression and genome stability, by suppressing transposable elements (TEs). Recent insights revealed that piRNAs and PIWI proteins, known for their roles in germline maintenance, significantly influence mRNA stability, translation and retrotransposon silencing in both stem cells and bodily tissues. In the current review, we explore the multifaceted roles of piRNAs and PIWI proteins in numerous biological contexts, emphasizing their involvement in stem cell maintenance, differentiation, and the development of human diseases. Additionally, we discussed the up-and-coming animal models, beyond the classical fruit fly and earthworm systems, for studying piRNA-PIWIs in self-renewal and cell differentiation. Further, our review offers new insights and discusses the emerging roles of piRNA-dependent and independent functions of PIWI proteins in the soma, especially the mRNA regulation at the post-transcriptional level, governing stem cell characteristics, tumor development, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
PIWI相互作用RNA（piRNA）是一类小的非编码RNA，它们与AGO蛋白家族的PIWI亚类结合，对于维持生殖系完整性至关重要。PIWI蛋白最初于[具体时间]被发现，其保护piRNA，形成核糖核蛋白（RNP）复合物，通过抑制转座元件（TE）对基因表达和基因组稳定性的调节至关重要。最近的研究表明，以其在生殖系维持中的作用而闻名的piRNA和PIWI蛋白，对干细胞和身体组织中的mRNA稳定性、翻译和逆转录转座子沉默有显著影响。在本综述中，我们探讨了piRNA和PIWI蛋白在多种生物学背景下的多方面作用，强调了它们在干细胞维持、分化以及人类疾病发展中的作用。此外，我们讨论了除经典果蝇和蚯蚓系统之外，用于研究piRNA - PIWI在自我更新和细胞分化中的新兴动物模型。此外，我们的综述提供了新的见解，并讨论了PIWI蛋白在体细胞中依赖和不依赖piRNA的功能的新出现作用，特别是在转录后水平上对mRNA的调节，这对干细胞特性、肿瘤发展以及心血管和神经退行性疾病的影响。
