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Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Conversion of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells iPSCs into Functional Spinal and Cranial Motor Neurons Using PiggyBac Vectors
Published on: May 1, 2019
Characteristics of circular RNAs generated by human Survival Motor Neuron genes
Eric W Ottesen1, Ravindra N Singh1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States of America.
Abstract:
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) belong to a diverse class of stable RNAs expressed in all cell types. Their proposed functions include sponging of microRNAs (miRNAs), sequestration and trafficking of proteins, assembly of multimeric complexes, production of peptides, and regulation of transcription. Backsplicing due to RNA structures formed by an exceptionally high number of Alu repeats lead to the production of a vast repertoire of circRNAs by human Survival Motor Neuron genes, SMN1 and SMN2, that code for SMN, an essential multifunctional protein. Low levels of SMN due to deletion or mutation of SMN1 result in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a major genetic disease of infants and children. Mild SMA is also recorded in adult population, expanding the spectrum of the disease. Here we review SMN circRNAs with respect to their biogenesis, sequence features, and potential functions. We also discuss how SMN circRNAs could be exploited for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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