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Updated: Dec 1, 2025

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis
Published on: July 12, 2022
sORF-Encoded MicroPeptides: New players in inflammation, metabolism, and precision medicine
Ying Chen1, Lena Ho2, Vinay Tergaonkar3
1Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
Abstract:
Significant technological advances have enabled the discovery and identification of a new class of molecules, micropeptides or small ORF encoded peptides (SEPs) within non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). As ncRNAs are well known to be transcriptionally silent, the discovery of SEPs implies that many ncRNAs are misannotated or play both coding and non-coding functions. SEPs have reportedly diverse regulatory roles in embryogenesis, myogenesis, inflammation, diseases, and cancer. SEPs appearing in different subcellular compartments show distinct functions. In this review, we summarized the functions of SEPs that have been characterized thus far. As SEPs are amenable to therapeutic development as biologics, understanding their underlying functions will provide novel targets for the treatment of inflammatory or metabolic disorders.
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