脂肪组织中的miRNAs研究进展

Recent advances of miRNAs in adipose tissues

摘要:

miRNA 是近年来发现的一类长约22 nt的内源性非编码RNA，在动物中主要通过抑制靶mRNA翻译，在转录后水平调控基因表达。大量研究表明脂肪组织中的miRNAs参与了脂肪细胞分化、脂代谢等多种生物过程调控，其自身也受到转录因子、脂肪细胞因子和环境因子等调控，这些复杂的相互作用关系构成了脂肪组织中miRNA的调控网络，循环miRNA的发现为这个网络加入了新元素。对肥胖等代谢疾病的研究，应该从这个复杂的动态网络中寻找答案。文中综述了脂肪组织中miRNA的最新研究进展，以期为利用miRNA进行肥胖等相关代谢失调疾病的治疗提供新思路。

Abstract:

microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous non-coding RNA about 22 nucleotide long, regulate gene expression at the post-transcription level by inhibiting the translation or inducing the degradation of their target mRNAs in organisms. A lot of studies reveal that miRNAs in adipose tissues are involved in adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism and modulated by multiple transcription factors, adipocytokines and environmental factors, which form a complex regulatory network maintaining the homeostasis of adipose tissues. The discovery of circulating miRNAs adds new elements to the regulatory network. To study the metabolic diseases such as obesity, we should keep a new insight into the complex dynamic network. In this review, we summarize the latest studies of miRNAs in adipose tissues, which might provide new strategies for the treatment of obesity and other related diseases.