Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of recently identified RNAs that are highly expressed in eukaryotes and conserved between species. Their biogenesis is described as a product of a process called back-splicing that occurs during pre-mRNA maturation, in which the binding 3' donor and 5' acceptor sites produce a circular molecule. Their closed-loop structure gives them greater stability and makes them resistant to degradation by some RNAsas in contrast to linear RNAs. Different functions of circRNAs have been postulated such as splicing competition against the gene from which they derive, miRNA sponges, regulators of CpG island methylation, or mediators in pAKT migration to the nucleus. Therefore, circRNAs are considered important post-transcriptional regulators for the regulation of cell survival and have been used as biomarkers in cancer diseases. Their abundance in neural tissue also relates them to the development of different pathologies of the nervous system that are shown in older people. The aim of this review is to summarize current concepts about circRNAs in eukaryotes, their possible functions and to highlight their importance in different systems such as cardiac, nervous, endocrine and digestive. Moreover, their impact on cardiogenesis, neurogenesis and cancer is discussed to be taken into account in molecular biology future research.
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