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身板小、力量大、无处不在的microRNA如何重塑生命科学

陈熹, 张辰宇^*

南京大学生命科学学院，南京 210023

摘要

生物体的遗传信息通过转录从DNA传递到RNA，再由RNA翻译为蛋白质，从而执行各种生物学功能。这种编码-翻译系统是所有生命活动的基础，驱动着细胞内的各类生物过程。尽管人类与其它动物在基因组序列上存在极高相似度，但人类表现出更加复杂的表型性状，这种复杂性主要归因于基因表达调控机制的高度精细化和多样化。miRNA是一类长约22个核苷酸的小分子非编码RNA，它并不直接参与蛋白质的合成，而是通过与靶mRNA互补配对从而在转录后水平上对基因表达进行调控。研究显示，人类基因中有超过45 000个miRNA靶点，超过60%的人类蛋白编码基因能被miRNA调控。因此，miRNA被认为是最大的基因表达调控家族。2024年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖授予了维克多·安布罗斯(Victor Ambros)和加里·鲁夫坤(Gary Ruvkun)，以表彰他们“发现microRNA及其在转录后基因调控中的作用”。诺贝尔奖授予miRNA的发现，不仅仅是对该领域科学突破的认可，更是对自然中隐藏之深的精妙调控机制的致敬。miRNA作为进化上高度保守的调控分子，其发现将基因表达从单一的逻辑变成了复杂的交响乐，为理解生命的复杂性以及疾病的发生提供了全新视角。这一发现揭开了生命进化背后更多未解的篇章，推动了对生命复杂性的全新认识。

Small but mighty: How ubiquitous microRNAs are reshaping life sciences

CHEN Xi, ZHANG Chen-Yu^*

College of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China

Abstract

The genetic information of organisms is transmitted from DNA to RNA through transcription, and then translated into proteins by RNA to perform various biological functions. This encoding translation system is the foundation of all life activities, driving various biological processes within cells. Despite the high similarity in genome sequences between humans and other animals, humans exhibit more complex phenotypic traits, which are mainly attributed to the highly refined and diverse gene expression regulation mechanisms. MiRNA is a type of small non coding RNA with a length of approximately 22 nucleotides. It does not directly participate in protein synthesis, but regulates gene expression at the post transcriptional level by complementary pairing with target mRNA. Research has shown that there are over 45000 miRNA targets in human genes, and over 60% of human protein coding genes can be regulated by miRNAs. Therefore, miRNA is considered the largest gene expression regulatory family. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNAs and their role in post transcriptional gene regulation. The Nobel Prize for the discovery of miRNA is not only a recognition of scientific breakthroughs in this field, but also a tribute to the intricate regulatory mechanisms hidden deep in nature. MiRNA, as a highly conserved regulatory molecule in evolution, has transformed gene expression from a single logic into a complex symphony, providing a new perspective for understanding the complexity of life and the occurrence of diseases. This discovery opens up more unsolved chapters behind the evolution of life and promotes a new understanding of the complexity of life. The genetic information of organisms is transmitted from DNA to RNA through transcription, and then translated into proteins by RNA to perform various biological functions. This encoding translation system is the foundation of all life activities, driving various biological processes within cells. Despite the high similarity in genome sequences between humans and other animals, humans exhibit more complex phenotypic traits, which are mainly attributed to the highly refined and diverse gene expression regulation mechanisms. MiRNA is a type of small non coding RNA with a length of approximately 22 nucleotides. It does not directly participate in protein synthesis, but regulates gene expression at the post transcriptional level by complementary pairing with target mRNA. Research has shown that there are over 45000 miRNA targets in human genes, and over 60% of human protein coding genes can be regulated by miRNAs. Therefore, miRNA is considered the largest gene expression regulatory family. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNAs and their role in post transcriptional gene regulation. The Nobel Prize for the discovery of miRNA is not only a recognition of scientific breakthroughs in this field, but also a tribute to the intricate regulatory mechanisms hidden deep in nature. MiRNA, as a highly conserved regulatory molecule in evolution, has transformed gene expression from a single logic into a complex symphony, providing a new perspective for understanding the complexity of life and the occurrence of diseases. This discovery opens up more unsolved chapters behind the evolution of life and promotes a new understanding of the complexity of life.

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引用本文：

陈熹, 张辰宇. 身板小、力量大、无处不在的microRNA如何重塑生命科学[J]. 生理学报 2024; 76 (5): 673-676.

CHEN Xi, ZHANG Chen-Yu. Small but mighty: How ubiquitous microRNAs are reshaping life sciences. Acta Physiol Sin 2024; 76 (5): 673-676 (in Chinese with English abstract).