The Role of RNA Interference in Stem Cell Biology: Beyond the Mutant Phenotypes

Autor: Daniel Cirera-Salinas, Constance Ciaudo, Janina Luitz, Maxime Bodak
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Molecular Biology, 429 (10)
Journal of Molecular Biology
ISSN: 0022-2836
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.01.014
Popis: Complex gene regulation systems ensure the maintenance of cellular identity during early development in mammals. Eukaryotic small RNAs have emerged as critical players in RNA interference (RNAi) by mediating gene silencing during embryonic stem cell self-renewal. Most of the proteins involved in the biogenesis of small RNAs are essential for proliferation and differentiation into the three germ layers of mouse embryonic stem cells. In the last decade, new functions for some RNAi proteins, independent of their roles in RNAi pathways, have been demonstrated in different biological systems. In parallel, new concepts in stem cell biology have emerged. Here, we review and integrate the current understanding of how RNAi proteins regulate stem cell identity with the new advances in the stem cell field and the recent non-canonical functions of the RNAi proteins. Finally, we propose a reevaluation of all RNAi mutant phenotypes, as non-canonical (small non-coding RNA independent) functions may contribute to the molecular mechanisms governing mouse embryonic stem cells commitment. ISSN:0022-2836 ISSN:1089-8638
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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