遗传 ›› 2007, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (12): 1419-1428.doi: 10.1360/yc-007-1419

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MicroRNA与肿瘤相关的信号转导通路

吴易阳, 李岭   

  1. 中国医科大学基础医学院医学遗传学教研室, 沈阳 110001

  • 收稿日期:2007-05-15 修回日期:2007-06-28 出版日期:2007-12-10 发布日期:2007-12-10
  • 通讯作者: 李岭

MicroRNAs and cancer-associated signal transduction pathways

WU Yi-Yang, LI LING Jesse

  

  1. Department of Medical Genetics, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
  • Received:2007-05-15 Revised:2007-06-28 Online:2007-12-10 Published:2007-12-10
  • Contact: LI-LING Jesse

摘要:

信号转导通路在细胞代谢、生长、增殖、应激、发育和凋亡等生命活动中具有极为重要的作用。干扰这些通路将可能影响细胞的正常发育, 甚至导致肿瘤。MicroRNA(miRNA)是近年来在真核生物中发现的、在转录后水平负调节基因表达的一类长度约22个核苷酸的非编码小RNA, 其靶基因数目众多, 生物学功能广泛。在多种肿瘤中发现了miRNA的异常表达, 提示后者与肿瘤发生有关, 可能机制为调控癌基因或肿瘤抑制基因的表达。此外亦发现miRNA的靶基因有许多作用于肿瘤相关的信号转导通路。miRNA在肿瘤发生过程中的重要调控功能预示其将成为人类癌症诊断和治疗方面的新星。

关键词: miRNA, 肿瘤, 肿瘤发生, 信号转导通路

Abstract:

Signal transduction pathways play extremely important roles in various processes of cell life including metabolism, growth, proliferation, stress, development and apoptosis. Disruption of these pathways may affect normal cell growth and development, and even gives rise to tumors. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a newly discovered class of non-coding small RNAs (~22 nucleotides in length) in eukaryotes that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. With a wide range of target genes, they play essential and pervasive roles in diverse biological processes. Aberrant miRNA expression has recently been discovered in tumor development, indicating that miRNAs may be connected with tumori-genesis, possibly through regulating the expression of oncogenes and tumor-suppressing genes. It has also been noticed that many target genes of miRNA can influence tumor associated signal transduction pathways. The significant roles of miRNAs in tumorigenesis indicate that they may become a powerful tool for diagnosis and treatment of human cancers in the future.