title: Emerging Functions of Circular RNAs.
abstract: Many thousands of Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been identified in metazoan genomes by transcriptome-wide sequencing. Most circRNAs are generated by back-splicing events from exons of protein-coding genes. A great deal of progress has recently been made in understanding the genome-wide expression patterns, biogenesis, and regulation of circRNAs. To date, however, few functions of circRNAs have been identified. CircRNAs are preferentially expressed in neural tissues and some are found at synapses, suggesting possible functions in the nervous system. Several circRNAs have been shown to function as microRNA "sponges" to counteract microRNA mediated repression of mRNA. New functions for circRNAs are arising, including protein sequestration, transcriptional regulation, and potential functions in cancer. Here, we highlight the recent progress made in understanding the biogenesis and regulation of circRNAs, discuss newly uncovered circRNA functions, and explain the methodological approaches that could reveal more exciting and unexpected roles for these RNAs.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciencias Genómicas UNAM Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico; University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, Reno, NV, USA.
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cortés-López
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, Reno, NV, USA.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D012313:RNA
keywords: EIciRNAs; RNA-seq; aging; alternative splicing; ceRNA; ciRNAs; circRNAs; microRNA; non-coding RNA; transcriptome