Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anshika Goenka, Deanna Marie Tiek, Xiao Song, Rebeca Piatniczka Iglesia, Minghui Lu, Bo Hu, Shi-Yuan Cheng
Summary: Research in cancer biology has predominantly focused on protein-coding genes, but the discovery of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has shed light on their crucial role in various biological processes and human diseases including cancer. Dysregulated ncRNA expression affects cancer initiation, progression, and therapy resistance. This review emphasizes the recent developments and advances in ncRNA biology relevant to glioma tumorigenesis and therapy response, highlighting the potential of ncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in glioma.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Guanqing Zhou, Mimi Zhang, Jingzhi Zhang, Yaofeng Feng, Zhishen Xie, Siyi Liu, Detu Zhu, Yumei Luo
Summary: Non-coding RNAs play important roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and the pathogenesis of various diseases. Especially in non-obstructive azoospermia, the expression of non-coding RNAs is associated with pathological conditions.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlos Garcia-Padilla, Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Virginio Garcia-Lopez, Amelia Aranega, Diego Franco, Virginio Garcia-Martinez, Carmen Lopez-Sanchez
Summary: Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome with increasing prevalence, and finding new molecular biomarkers is an interesting tool to improve its prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This review emphasizes the relevance of microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs as potential biomarkers in heart failure. Further studies in this field are crucial to support their widespread clinical use.
Review
Cell Biology
Nasrin Ahangar Davoodi, Sajad Najafi, Zari Naderi Ghale-Noie, Ashkan Piranviseh, Samaneh Mollazadeh, Sahar Ahmadi Asouri, Zatollah Asemi, Mohammadamin Morshedi, Seyed Saeed Tamehri Zadeh, Michael R. Hamblin, Amirhossein Sheida, Hamed Mirzaei
Summary: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare aggressive intraocular malignancy of childhood that can have severe consequences. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis and development of RB, with different ncRNAs acting as either tumor promoters or suppressors. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of ncRNAs provides new opportunities for RB therapy.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marianne C. Kramer, Hee Jong Kim, Kyle R. Palos, Benjamin A. Garcia, Eric Lyons, Mark A. Beilstein, Andrew D. L. Nelson, Brian D. Gregory
Summary: This article investigates a previously unstudied group of lncRNAs, lncCOBRA, and demonstrates that one member, lncCOBRA1, shows tissue and developmental specific expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. It is shown that plants lacking lncCOBRA1 exhibit delayed germination and stunted growth, indicating the important role of lncCOBRA1 in plant development.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Jihui Lee, Hara Kang
Summary: Sarcopenia is an age-related disease that can be regulated by alterations in the expression levels of non-coding RNAs, leading to muscle atrophy and dysfunction. Exercise can affect the expression patterns of non-coding RNAs involved in sarcopenia.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lei Shi, Peter Magee, Matteo Fassan, Sudhakar Sahoo, Hui Sun Leong, Dave Lee, Robert Sellers, Laura Brulle-Soumare, Stefano Cairo, Tiziana Monteverde, Stefano Volinia, Duncan D. Smith, Gianpiero Di Leva, Francesca Galuppini, Athanasios R. Paliouras, Kang Zeng, Raymond O'Keefe, Michela Garofalo
Summary: This study reveals the role of KIMAT1 in maintaining KRAS signaling in lung cancer progression, suggesting that targeting it may be a strategy to prevent KRAS-induced tumorigenesis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ligia I. Torsin, George E. D. Petrescu, Alexandru A. Sabo, Baoqing Chen, Felix M. Brehar, Mihnea P. Dragomir, George A. Calin
Summary: The text discusses the dysregulated levels and alterations of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in cancer, as well as the emerging focus on modifications to ncRNAs as a potential part of the tumorigenic process. Understanding this extra regulatory layer is crucial in translating knowledge about ncRNAs and their modifications into clinical practice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Juhee Ryu, Youngkeun Ahn, Hyun Kook, Young-Kook Kim
Summary: This article reviews the role and therapeutic implications of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in vascular calcification (VC). Studies suggest that ncRNAs, including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, play important roles in regulating VC and may be useful in clinical diagnosis and treatment.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Isabel F. Coira, Rafael Rincon, Muriel Cuendet
Summary: Recent research has led to improved therapies for multiple myeloma, but the problem of frequent relapse and drug resistance remains. Non-coding RNAs have been found to play a key role in the development and progression of multiple myeloma, and are therefore a promising target for new therapeutic approaches. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on this topic and suggests new strategies for treatment.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julie Xia Zhou, Xiaogang Li
Summary: Recent advances in molecular genetics have revealed single-gene defects as the etiologies of many kidney diseases, with microRNAs playing a key role in the progression of ADPKD and emerging as potential therapeutic targets. Studies have also focused on microRNAs as potential biomarkers for ADPKD and other hereditary kidney diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ida Manna, Francesco Fortunato, Selene De Benedittis, Ilaria Sammarra, Gloria Bertoli, Angelo Labate, Antonio Gambardella
Summary: Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of focal epilepsy, considered a network disorder associated with structural changes. Non-coding RNAs, acting as epigenetic factors, participate in the regulation of the pathophysiological processes of epilepsy and can be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment response.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Zhaobo Zhang, Sishi Zhang, Guoshuai Wang, Siyu Feng, Kexin Han, Limei Han, Liping Han
Summary: Marek's disease virus (MDV) causes Marek's disease (MD), which involves highly infectious tumor lesions. Noncoding RNAs play a significant role in the pathogenesis of MD, with specific miRNAs and lncRNAs participating in various cellular processes.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Huiwen Ren, Qiuyue Wang
Summary: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common chronic microvascular complication of diabetes with a complex pathological process involving multiple factors. Non-coding RNAs, such as micro RNA (miRNA), play a role in disease regulation and may serve as potential biomarkers for disease prediction. The research on long coding RNA (lncRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) is still challenging and in early stages.
DNA AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
C. E. Fletcher, L. Deng, F. Orafidiya, W. Yuan, M. P. G. S. Lorentzen, O. W. Cyran, A. Varela-Carver, T. A. Constantin, D. A. Leach, F. M. Dobbs, I Figueiredo, B. Gurel, E. Parkes, D. Bogdan, R. R. Pereira, S. G. Zhao, A. Neeb, F. Issa, J. Hester, H. Kudo, Y. Liu, Y. Philippou, R. Bristow, K. Knudsen, R. J. Bryant, F. Y. Feng, S. H. Reed, I. G. Mills, J. de Bono, C. L. Bevan
Summary: miR-346 induces rapid and extensive DNA damage in prostate cancer cells through transcriptional hyperactivation, R-loop formation, and replication stress. It disrupts the interaction between NORAD and PUM2, leading to PUM2 stabilization and increased turnover of DNA damage response transcripts. miR-346 downregulates target transcripts preferentially at binding sites of highly transcriptionally active transcription factors. Targeting miR-346 may enhance the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to DNA-damaging drugs and induce tumor regression as a monotherapy.
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Yiqian Li, Jerome H. L. Hui
Summary: Small RNA molecules are essential regulators of gene expression and genome stability in eukaryotes. Cnidarians, as early-branching animals, provide crucial insights into the evolution of small RNA pathways. However, the knowledge of small RNA regulation in cnidarians is limited. This review aims to enhance our understanding of small RNA pathway development in early-branch animals by presenting the current-known small RNA information in cnidarians.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
John T. Burley, Sophia C. M. Orzechowski, Simon Yung Wa Sin, Scott Edwards
Summary: This study used long-read DNA sequencing to investigate the whole-genome phylogeography of the blue-faced honeyeater in Australia and New Guinea. They discovered a novel neo-Z chromosome and explored its diversity, divergence, and introgression landscape.
Article
Zoology
Jinwei Wu, Libiao Zhang, Chao Shen, Simon Yung Wa Sin, Caoqi Lei, Huabin Zhao
Summary: Understanding how natural selection shapes unique traits in mammals is a central topic in evolutionary biology. This study focuses on bats and investigates the molecular mechanisms behind their specific traits, such as extraordinary immunity and inverted resting posture. The researchers sequenced the transcriptomes of five phylogenetically divergent bats and built a database to analyze the genes related to immunity, bone remodeling, and the cardiovascular system. They found that the T cell receptor signaling pathway involved in immune adaptation is specifically enriched in bats. Additionally, molecular adaptations of bone remodeling, cardiovascular system, and balance sensing may help explain the unique resting posture of bats. This study provides valuable insights into bat-specific traits and could potentially have healthcare applications.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Derek Kong Lam, Alain C. Frantz, Terry Burke, Eli Geffen, Simon Yung Wa Sin
Summary: The study investigates the effects of balancing selection and genetic drift on the evolution of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in European badgers. By analyzing MHC class II DRB genes and neutral microsatellite loci in 26 populations, they found that both selection and drift contribute to MHC variation. The spatial pattern of MHC variation is similar to microsatellites when considering allelic identity, but balancing selection decreases genetic structuring in populations when considering functional aspects of MHC diversity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marta Truchado-Garcia, Kimberly J. Perry, Florencia Cavodeassi, Nathan J. Kenny, Jonathan Q. Henry, Cristina Grande
Summary: Asymmetries are crucial for the proper organization and function of organ systems. The Nodal/Smad2 pathway has been shown to play a key role in the establishment of body asymmetries in bilaterians. In this study, the orthologs of the egf-cfc gene, a master regulator of the Nodal pathway, were identified in invertebrate species, providing evidence of its presence in non-deuterostomes. The functional experiments revealed that egf-cfc does not contribute to the establishment of left-right asymmetry in gastropods, but a mutation in this gene in the common ancestor of chordates was found to induce a gain of function in LRA regulation.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Emily Shui Kei Poon, Guoling Chen, Hiu Yu Tsang, Chung Tong Shek, Wing Chi Tsui, Huabin Zhao, Benoit Guenard, Simon Yung Wa Sin
Summary: This study used morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding to identify and classify bat fly species on 11 cave-dwelling bat species in Hong Kong, discovering 20 species, many of which are new. Analysis of the bat-bat fly association network revealed that bat fly species have a certain degree of genetic relationship with their host bats and exhibit varying levels of host specificity. The study also emphasizes the use of DNA barcoding to support morphological identification in future research to reveal accurate host-parasite relationships.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ki-Kei Chan, Ting-Fung Chan, William Bendena, Jerome H. L. Hui
Summary: The importance of RNAs is traditionally associated with protein-coding RNAs, while non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were believed to be useless. However, in the past decade, ncRNAs have been found to play significant roles in various biological activities, including hormonal and metabolic regulation. Among ncRNAs, microRNA (miRNA) is a small RNA transcript of approximately 20 nucleotides, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is an RNA transcript with more than 200 nucleotides, and circular RNA (circRNA) is derived from back-splicing of pre-mRNA. These ncRNAs can regulate gene expression levels at epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels through various mechanisms in insects. Understanding these key regulators is crucial for both basic and applied entomology. This review aims to summarize and discuss the current knowledge of miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA in the well-studied insect model, the fruit fly Drosophila.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhi-wen Sang, Min-nan Bao, Yue Liang, Ka-hou Chu, Lan Wang
Summary: In this study, the ACP gene of the freshwater crab Sinopotamon henanense was cloned and the impact of cadmium stress on the expression and function of ShACP was investigated. The findings revealed that ShACP enhances immune function, but high levels of cadmium stress inhibit its expression. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further research on crab immune systems and has significant implications for studying immune responses in crustaceans under heavy metal stress.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ming Fung Franco Au, Gray A. A. Williams, Jerome H. L. Hui
Summary: Schistosomiasis, caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, is a parasitic disease affecting over 230 million people worldwide. Infection occurs through various activities, with freshwater snails Biomphalaria releasing larvae that penetrate human skin. Understanding the biology of these snails is crucial for controlling the spread of schistosomiasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kwan-Ho Wong, Tin-Yan Siu, Stacey Shun-Kei Tsang, Bobby Lim-Ho Kong, Hoi-Yan Wu, Grace Wing-Chiu But, Jerome Ho-Lam Hui, Pang-Chui Shaw, David Tai-Wai Lau
Summary: This study aims to revisit the infra-familial and inter-familial relationships of the Smilacaceae using complete chloroplast genomes. The results suggest delimitating the genus Heterosmilax as a section under the genus Smilax, supporting previous molecular and morphological studies. The phylogenomic analysis also confirms the monophyly of Smilacaceae and excludes Ripogonum from the family. This study contributes to the systematics and taxonomy of monocotyledons, authentication of medicinal Smilacaceae, and conservation of plant diversity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Khalil, Erik D. Enbody, Carolina Frankl-Vilches, Joseph F. Welklin, Rebecca E. Koch, Matthew B. Toomey, Simon Yung Wa Sin, Scott Edwards, Manfred Gahr, Hubert Schwabl, Michael S. Webster, Jordan Karubian
Summary: Carotenoid pigments play a crucial role in mate choice among vertebrates by producing red, orange, and yellow visual signals. However, the processes involved in carotenoid-based trait production remain largely unknown. In this study, we induced the production of a carotenoid-based red plumage patch in male red-backed fairywrens through testosterone elevation. We compared gene expression in the liver and feather follicles of unornamented males, testosterone-implanted males, and naturally ornamented males. Our findings suggest that testosterone regulates the expression of carotenoid-associated genes and coordinaes the complex processes underlying the production of carotenoid-based traits.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Jordi Paps, Maria Eleonora Rossi, Alexander M. C. Bowles, Marta Alvarez-Presas
Summary: The Animal Kingdom, together with plants and fungi, is one of the three major lineages of multicellular eukaryotes. The origin and diversification of animals are crucial to modern evolutionary biology. Recent advancements in molecular biology and computational power have provided new insights into animal phylogenetics and genomics, complementing the findings from comparative morphology, evodevo, and palaeontology. This paper reviews the developments in these fields and compares animals to plants as another major lineage of multicellular eukaryotes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stella Huynh, Alison Cloutier, Simon Yung Wa Sin
Summary: Natural history collections provide valuable specimens for ecological and evolutionary studies. In this study, low-coverage whole genome sequencing was applied to historical and modern parrot specimens to analyze their phylogenomic relationships and population genomics. The results revealed the colonization and dispersal history of Agapornis parrots and identified parental origins of hybrid individuals.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Nurul Adilah Ismail, Christina Seok Yien Yong, Simon Yung Wa Sin, Geetha Annavi
Summary: The Malayan tapir is listed as Endangered due to habitat loss and human disturbance, leading to population decline. This study characterizes the MHC class I and II genes in the species and investigates evidence of balancing selection and their relationships with homologous genes of other species. The study identified at least one class I gene and four class II genes.
ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sharne E. E. McMillan, Anson Tsz Chun Wong, Sally Shui Yan Tang, Eugene Yu Hin Yau, Thomas Gomersall, Portia Y. H. Wong, Andy Ka Hei Vu, Simon Yung Wa Sin, Billy C. H. Hau, Timothy C. C. Bonebrake
Summary: Lack of data on population sizes and resource requirements hinder the effective conservation of rare species globally. The study on Eurasian otters in Hong Kong reveals the challenges faced in conserving elusive and difficult-to-study mammals. The population is small, restricted to the Mai Po wetlands, and heavily relies on fishpond habitats as a key foraging resource. Maintaining quality and connected habitats, along with sustaining commercial fishponds, is crucial for the long-term survival of otters in Hong Kong.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)