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08:25
Identification of Circular RNAs using RNA Sequencing
Published on: November 14, 2019
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Circular RNAs in Brain and Other Tissues: A Functional Enigma
1Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Department of Biology, South University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, China.
Trends in Neurosciences
|July 23, 2016
Summary
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are abundant, stable molecules with a unique looped structure. This review explores their detection, formation, and potential roles, especially in brain tissues.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Circular RNAs (circRNAs) possess a unique covalently closed loop structure.
- Recent advances in RNA sequencing and bioinformatics have identified numerous circRNAs.
- Many circRNAs are abundant, stable, and evolutionarily conserved, yet their functions are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent progress in the detection and biogenesis of circRNAs.
- To discuss the potential functions of circRNAs, with a focus on neuronal tissues.
- To highlight the significance of circRNAs in brain development and synaptic plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) for circRNA detection.
- Bioinformatic analyses for genome-wide circRNA identification.
- Literature review of studies on circRNA biogenesis and function.
Main Results:
- A large number of circRNAs have been identified across various species.
- CircRNAs are frequently enriched in neuronal tissues and linked to neuronal gene functions.
- Expression patterns of circRNAs are modulated by neuronal development and synaptic plasticity.
Conclusions:
- CircRNAs represent a significant class of non-coding RNAs with emerging roles.
- Their specific enrichment and regulation in brain tissues suggest crucial functions in neuronal biology.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the functional significance of circRNAs in the central nervous system.
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