title: Circular RNA: an emerging key player in RNA world.
abstract: Insights into the circular RNA (circRNA) exploration have revealed that they are abundant in eukaryotic transcriptomes. Diverse genomic regions can generate different types of RNA circles, implying their diversity. Covalently closed loop structures elevate the stability of this new type of noncoding RNA. High-throughput sequencing analyses suggest that circRNAs exhibit tissue- and developmental-specific expression, indicating that they may play crucial roles in multiple cellular processes. Strikingly, several circRNAs could function as microRNA sponges and regulate gene transcription, highlighting a new class of important regulators. Here, we review the recent advances in knowledge of endogenous circRNA biogenesis, properties and functions. We further discuss the current findings about circRNAs in human diseases. In plants, the roles of circRNAs remain a mystery. Online resources and bioinformatics identification of circRNAs are essential for the analysis of circRNA biology, although different strategies yield divergent results. The understanding of circRNA functions remains limited; however, circRNAs are enriching the RNA world, acting as an emerging key player.
authors.forename: Xianwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Peijing
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yincong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D012313:RNA
keywords: bioinformatics identification; circular RNA; high-throughput sequencing; human disease; miRNA sponge; noncoding RNA