Emerging roles of piRNAs in cancer: challenges and prospects

Ye Cheng,Anxing Gou,Wenling Zhang,Wei Jiang,Kai Fu,Yonghua Bian,Yang Zhou,Weihong Shi,Qian Wang

doi:10.18632/aging.102417

Ye Cheng, Anxing Gou + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.102417

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Abstract

PiRNAs are a small class of non-coding small RNAs newly discovered in recent years. Millions of piRNAs have been discovered to date, and more than 20,000 piRNA genes have been found in the human genome. Due to the relatively small number of studies related to piRNA, our understanding of piRNAs is very limited. Currently, the clear biological function of piRNAs is transposon mobilization inhibition by promoting transcript degradation and regulating chromatin formation. In addition, piRNAs can form piRNA-PIWI protein complexes with some members of the PIWI branch of the Argonaute protein. Based on these biological functions, piRNAs and PIWI proteins are important in maintaining the genomic integrity of germline cells. Because of this, the popularity of piRNAs research has been focused on its role in germline cells for a long time after the discovery of piRNAs. As the field of research expands, there is growing evidence that piRNAs and PIWI proteins are abnormally expressed in various types of cancers, which may be potential cancer biomarkers and cancer therapeutic targets. In this review, we will focus on the relationship between piRNAs and PIWI proteins and cancers based on previous research, as well as their significance in cancer detection, grading and treatment.

Highlights

Previous studies have shown that more than 90% of the human genome may be transcribed
Post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) After the discovery of Transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), the researchers find that P-element-induced wimpy testis (PIWI) interacting RNAs (piRNAs) inhibit the function of target through regulate post-transcriptional networks, which is similar to miRNA made, scilicet piRNA-RNA interactions
We summarized the mechanisms about the involvement of piRNA or PIWI protein in this article (Figure 4)

Summary

Introduction

Previous studies have shown that more than 90% of the human genome may be transcribed. More and more studies have shown that these new small ncRNA often binding to the PIWI subfamily of Argonaute proteins and function in mammalian germ cells through this mechanism [8,9,10]. After the piRNA/PIWI protein complex is formed, it migrates back to the nucleus to reach the target gene, and through the complementary base pairing of piRNA and DNA, activates the silencing mechanism and blocks the transcription of the target gene.

Results

Conclusion