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Role of circRNAs in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases

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Abstract

With the rapid development of sequencing technology, scientists have been able to study and acquire a better understanding of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a unique class of ncRNAs with a special loop structure, have been found to possess modulatory properties with respect to various biological processes, such as interacting with nucleic acids or proteins. In addition to their tissue-specific expression and high conservation across species, circRNAs are abundant and dynamically expressed in the nervous system, especially in nerve synapse, indicating their potential regulation in synaptic plasticity or neuronal disorders. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of circRNAs and their common biological functions, as well as their significant role in neurodevelopment, drug addiction and neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to guide further disease diagnoses and efficient therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Junwei Li, Chenyou Sun, Huairui Cui & Peng Zhou

  2. Institute of Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Junwei Li, Chenyou Sun & Peng Zhou

  3. Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China

    Jinhao Sun

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  1. Junwei Li
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  3. Huairui Cui
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Jinhao Sun designed this article and Junwei Li wrote the original manuscript. Chenyou Sun and Huairui Cui worked for the article embellishment. Peng Zhou made revisions to the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Peng Zhou.

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Li, J., Sun, C., Cui, H. et al. Role of circRNAs in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases. J Mol Neurosci 71, 1743–1751 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-021-01882-y

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