MicroRNA implications across neurodevelopment and neuropathology.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have rapidly emerged as biologically important mediators of posttranscriptional and epigenetic regulation in both plants and animals. miRNAs function through a variety of mechanisms including mRNA degradation and translational repression; additionally, miRNAs may guide gene expression by serving as transcription factors. miRNAs are highly expressed in human brain. Tissue and cell type-specific enrichments of certain miRNAs within the nervous system argue for a biological significance during neurodevelopmental stages. On the other hand, a large number of studies have reported links between alterations of miRNA homeostasis and pathologic conditions such as cancer, heart diseases, and neurodegeneration. Thus, profiles of distinct or aberrant miRNA signatures have most recently surged as one of the most fascinating interests in current biology. Here, the most recent insights into the involvement of miRNAs in the biology of the nervous system and the occurrence of neuropathological disorders are reviewed and discussed.
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Scienze Biochimiche, Sezione di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Sabata
S
Martino
Ilaria
I
di Girolamo
Antonio
A
Orlacchio
Alessandro
A
Datti
Aldo
A
Orlacchio
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
D035683:MicroRNAs