摘要
miRNA是一类在动植物基因组中广泛存在的小分子非编码RNA,作为真核细胞转录后水平上基因表达的关键调控者,它通过与靶基因mRNA的特定位点结合,抑制mRNA的翻译或诱导mRNA的降解,从而介导生物体的许多重要生理活动。本文简要总结了模式昆虫黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogastermiRNA的鉴定情况,综述了miRNA的结构特征、生物合成途径和作用机制。miRNA可能同时调节成百上千个靶标,其生物功能主要体现为:调节细胞分化与凋亡,调节器官和神经系统的发育,控制肌肉分化,保持能量动态平衡,调节昆虫变态或综合调节作用。miRNA具有"低丰度、短序列、难富集"的特点,miRNA基因的获得和功能鉴定研究的基本策略是实验生物学和生物信息学方法的有机结合。鉴定新miRNA及其靶标,深入研究其生物功能和基因进化等可能成为今后一段时间昆虫miRNA研究的重要内容。
MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are small non-coding RNAs which are wnlespread in the genome ot animals and plants. Recognized as key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in eukaryotes, miRNAs inhibit the production of target proteins or induce degradation of mRNAs to control important physiological process by binding to specific region of target mRNAs via sequence complementarity. The identification of miRNAs in model insect Drosophila melanogaster was firstly summarized briefly in this article, and the research progress in structure, biosynthesis pathway and the mode of action were reviewed, miRNAs could regulate hundreds of target genes and their biological functions include the regulation of cell differentiation and apoptosis, organ and neural development, muscle differentiation, energy homeostasis and metamorphosis and/or the comprehensive regulation in D. melanogaster, miRNAs have the characteristics as ＂ low abundance, short sequences and hard preconcentration＂. The basic research strategies of obtaining miRNAs genes and identifying their functions include combining experimental biology with bioinformatics approaches. It is proposed that the identification of new miRNAs and their targets, and further study of their biological functions and genetic evolution may become important aspects in the research of insect miRNAs in the future.
出处
《昆虫学报》
CAS
CSCD
北大核心
2009年第4期434-444,共11页
Acta Entomologica Sinica
基金
国家自然科学基金项目(30500335)
教育部全国优秀博士学位论文作者专项基金(2004061)
关键词
MIRNA
黑腹果蝇
结构
功能
研究策略
miRNA
Drosophila melanogaster
structure
function
research strategies
