《生命科学》 2010, 22(7): 628-633

基因表达调控多面手——microRNA和siRNA的作用机制

赵　雅，吴立刚*

中国科学院上海生命科学研究院生物化学与细胞生物学研究所，分子生物学国家重点实验室，上海 200031

摘　要：摘　要：miRNA (microRNA)是一类广泛存在于高等真核细胞中的长度约为21个碱基的小分子非编码RNA，参与调控三分之一以上基因的表达，并与多种人类疾病存在重要关联。而siRNA(small interfering RNA)是RNA干扰(RNA interference， RNAi)中的效应分子，其结构和作用机制与miRNA存在许多类似之处。由于miRNA和siRNA具有重要的生物学功能。因此，对它们作用机制的理解具有非常重要的理论意义和应用指导价值。该综述将对它们作用机制的研究进展做一总结和回顾。
关键词：miRNA；siRNA；非编码RNA；作用机制

Multiple mechanisms of gene expression regulation by microRNA and siRNA

ZHAO Ya， WU Li-gang*

Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology， Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences， Chinese Academy of Sciences， Shanghai 200031， China

Abstract: Abstract: Most of the eukaryotic organisms encode numerous small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)， which control the expression of thousands of genes and participate in almost every biology process. However， the mechanistic details of how these small oligonucleotides inhibit or stimulate their target gene production are still lacking. Recent studies have uncovered various mechanisms by which microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) affect their target mRNA post-transcriptionally or transcriptionally. This review will focus on the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms by miRNA and siRNA in animals. 
Key words: miRNA; siRNA; non-coding RNA; mechanism