Action mechanisms and research methods of tRNA-derived small RNAs

tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), including tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA halves (tiRNAs), are small regulatory RNAs processed from mature tRNAs or precursor tRNAs. tRFs and tiRNAs play biological roles through a variety of mechanisms by interacting with proteins or mRNA, inhibiting translation, and regulating gene expression, the cell cycle, and chromatin and epigenetic modifications. The establishment and application of research technologies are important in understanding the biological roles of tRFs and tiRNAs. To study the molecular mechanisms of tRFs and tiRNAs, researchers have used a variety of bioinformatics and molecular biology methods, such as microarray analysis, real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); Northern blotting; RNA sequencing (RNA-seq); cross-linking, ligation and sequencing of hybrids (CLASH); and photoactivatable-ribonucleoside-enhanced cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLIP). This paper summarizes the classification, action mechanisms, and roles of tRFs and tiRNAs in human diseases and the related signal transduction pathways, targeted therapies, databases, and research methods associated with them.