《生命科学》 2022, 34(9): 1071-1079
染色质R环的生理功能研究进展
摘 要：
R 环作为一种染色质高级结构，在基因组中广泛存在，受细胞精密调控，并与基因转录、DNA 复制、表观遗传修饰等基因组活动高度偶联。R 环功能具有两面性：一方面R 环作为路障，在未及时清除时干预转录与复制，改变局部表观遗传修饰环境，最终影响基因表达和基因组稳定性，并与多种重大疾病的发生相关；另一方面，R 环在多种模式生物体内随发育高度动态变化，参与干细胞干性维持和分化调控，以及B 细胞免疫球蛋白类型转换的DNA 重组等过程，显示R 环具有重要生理作用，也是相关领域当下热点研究方向之一。该文将聚焦近年对R 环生理功能的研究进展，重点讨论R 环在生理条件下的调控机制和功能以及未来潜在的研究方向。
通讯作者：陈 亮 , Email:liang_chen@whu.edu.cn
Abstract:
R-loops are widely distributed in the genome, being precisely regulated and associated with gene transcription, DNA replication and epigenetic modification, which may lead to both pathological and physiological outcomes. On one hand, R-loops are in general considered as road blocks to interfere with transcriptions and replications, change the local epigenetic configurations and eventually disrupt gene expressions and genomic stabilities, implicating in a variety of major diseases. On the other hand, recent studies show that the levels of R-loops undergo dynamic change during the development of many model organisms. R-loops have been shown to participate in stem cell maintenance and differentiation, as well as DNA recombination during B-cell immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR), suggesting the important physiological impact of R-loops, which becomes one of the most popular research topics in the field. This review focuses on recent research progress of R-loops under physiological conditions, including the regulatory mechanism and function of R-loop and future
research directions.
Communication Author：CHEN Liang , Email:liang_chen@whu.edu.cn
