遗传 ›› 2017, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (8): 683-691.doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.17-245

• 前沿聚焦 •    下一篇

piRNA/PIWI功能调控与精子发生

袁志恒1,2(),赵艳梅2()   

  1. 1. 中国科学院大学,北京 100049
    2. 中国科学院生物物理研究所,核酸生物学重点实验室,北京 100101
  • 收稿日期:2017-07-25 修回日期:2017-08-10 出版日期:2017-08-20 发布日期:2017-12-25
  • 作者简介:袁志恒,博士研究生,专业方向:细胞生物学。E-mail: yuanzhiheng89@126.com|赵艳梅,博士,副研究员,研究方向:精子发生与激活的调控机理。E-mail: zhaoym@ibp.ac.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金(31371357, 31571436)

The regulatory functions of piRNA/PIWI in spermatogenesis

Zhiheng Yuan1,2(),Yanmei Zhao2()   

  1. 1. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    2. Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
  • Received:2017-07-25 Revised:2017-08-10 Online:2017-08-20 Published:2017-12-25
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31371357, 31571436)

摘要:

piRNAs(PIWI-interacting RNAs)是一类与PIWI相互作用的小非编码RNAs(small noncoding RNAs, sncRNAs),其长度介于24~32 nt,特异性地在动物生殖腺细胞中表达。近来研究表明piRNA/PIWI系统在动物生殖腺细胞的基因组转座元件沉默及转录后调控mRNAs方面具有重要功能。最近,中国科学院上海生物化学与细胞生物学研究所刘默芳课题组的一项研究表明,在人和小鼠的精子发生过程中,PIWI (鼠源同源蛋白MIWI、人源同源蛋白HIWI)的严格代谢调控至关重要。以此为契机,本文综述了piRNA/PIWI在哺乳动物(主要是小鼠和人)精子发生过程中调控功能的研究进展。

关键词: 精子发生, piRNAs, PIWI, MIWI

Abstract:

A class of 24-32 nt PIWI-binding small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) termed as PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have been identified in animal germline. Recent studies suggest that piRNA/PIWI pathway plays a critical role in both silencing of transposons and posttranscriptional regulation of mRNAs in animal germline. A study from Dr. Mofang Liu’s lab in Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reveals the physiological and pathological importance of PIWI metabolism (mouse PIWI as known as MIWI; human PIWI as HIWI) in mammalian spermatogenesis. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the piRNA/PIWI pathway in mammals (focusing on mouse and human), which is emerging as a fundamental component of spermatogenesis that ensures male fertility and genome integrity.

Key words: spermatogenesis, piRNAs, PIWI, MIWI