摘 要：摘 要：小分子调控RNA，包括siRNA (small interfering RNA)、miRNA (microRNA)和piRNA (piwi interacting RNA)、hsRNA (heterochromatin associated small RNA)等，是当前生命科学研究的前沿热点。越来越多的证据表明，这些小分子RNA存在于几乎所有较高等的真核生物细胞中，对生物体具有非常重要的调控功能。它们通过各种序列特异性的RNA基因沉默作用，包括RNA干扰 (RNAi)、翻译抑制、异染色质形成等，调控诸如生长发育、应激反应、沉默转座子等各种各样的细胞进程。随着对这些小分子调控RNA的发现，一些RNase III酶家族成员、Argonaute蛋白质家族成员及RNA结合蛋白质等先后被鉴定为小RNA的胞内蛋白质合作者，参与小RNA的加工成熟和在细胞内行使功能。本综述简介一些RNA沉默作用途径中重要组分的结构和功能的研究进展。
关键词：小分子调控RNA；RNA基因沉默；Drosha；Dicer；Argonaute；Piwi；小RNA结合蛋白
中图分类号：Q522;Q51 文献标识码：A
Abstract: Abstract: Small regulatory RNAs, including siRNA (short interfering RNA), miRNA (microRNA), piRNA (piwi interacting RNA), and hsRNA (heterochromatin associated small RNA), have been the hot frontier of life sciences in the past few years, and it is becoming more and more apparent that these small molecules have key regulatory functions. Small RNAs trigger various forms of sequence specific gene silencing, commonly referred to as RNA silencing, such as RNA interference (RNAi), translational repression, and heterochromatin formation in all higher eukaryotes and play important roles in cellular processes as diverse as development, stress response, or transposon silencing. Soon after the discovery of small regulatory RNAs, members of the RNase III family and Argonaute protein family, some RNA binding proteins, and etc., were identified as their major cellular protein interactors and involved in the biogenesis and various cellular functions of small RNAs. This review summaries the understanding of the structures and functions of the important components in small RNA-induced gene-silencing pathways.
Key words: small regulatory RNA; RNA gene silencing; Drosha; Dicer; Argonaute; Piwi; small RNA binding protein
