Cited by 4,823Circular RNAs in diseasesRNA Research and SplicingCancer-related molecular mechanisms research

The biogenesis, biology and characterization of circular RNAs

Kristensen, Lasse S., Andersen, Maria S., Stagsted, Lotte V. W., Ebbesen, Karoline K., Hansen, Thomas B., Kjems, Jørgen·2019·Nature Reviews Genetics

Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed, endogenous biomolecules in eukaryotes with tissue-specific and cell-specific expression patterns, whose biogenesis is regulated by specific cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors. Some circRNAs are abundant and evolutionarily conserved, and many circRNAs exert important biological functions by acting as microRNA or protein inhibitors ('sponges'), by regulating protein function or by being translated themselves. Furthermore, circRNAs have been implicated in diseases such as diabetes mellitus, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Although the circular nature of these transcripts makes their detection, quantification and functional characterization challenging, recent advances in high-throughput RNA sequencing and circRNA-specific computational tools have driven the development of state-of-the-art approaches for their identification, and novel approaches to functional characterization are emerging.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41576-019-0158-7

Cites

162 of 162 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • circRNAs, which have been proposed to act as miRNA sponges, could influence miRNA arm availability by sequestering miRNAs that have target sites within the circRNA.

    “It is also possible that circRNAs, which have been proposed to act as miRNA sponges (reviewed in Kristensen et al., 2019; Thomson & Dinger, 2016), could influence miRNA arm availability by sequestering miRNAs that have target sites within the circRNA.”

    From microRNA strand selection: Unwinding the rules (2021) · cites this paper as Kristensen et al., 2019

  • CircRNA is a highly stable single-stranded RNA with a covalently closed loop structure.

    “CircRNA is a highly stable single-stranded RNA with a covalently closed loop structure (Fig. 3), including a large category of non-coding RNAs generated by backsplicing in eukaryotic cells.218–220”

    From Advances in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development (2022) · cites this paper as [219]

  • circRNA can be translated in eukaryotic cells and, due to its closed-ring structure, is significantly more resistant to exonuclease-mediated degradation compared with linear mRNA.

    “circRNA (also called endless RNA) can be translated in eukaryotic cells48 and, due to its closed-ring structure, is significantly more resistant to exonuclease-mediated degradation compared with linear mRNA.151”

    From COVID-19 mRNA vaccines: Platforms and current developments (2022) · cites this paper as [151]

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Authors
Kristensen, L. S., Andersen, M. S., Stagsted, L. V. W., Ebbesen, K. K., Hansen, T. B., & Kjems, J.
Affiliations
Aarhus University (DK)
Corresponding author
Kristensen, Lasse S.
Venue
Nature Reviews Genetics
Published
2019-08-08
Volume
20
Issue
11
Pages
675-691
ISSN
  • 1471-0056 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-0064
OpenAlex
W2967043226
Cited by
4,823
References
162
Citations by year
2026: 333 · 2025: 536 · 2024: 764 · 2023: 855 · 2022: 1055 · 2021: 866 · 2020: 386 · 2019: 19 · 2017: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
54.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature Reviews Genetics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Villum Fonden (00013393)
  • Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF16OC0019874)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Circular RNAs in diseases
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research
Keywords
circular RNA, circRNA biogenesis, cis-regulatory elements, trans-acting factors, microRNA sponge, cap-independent translation, circRNA detection
MeSH terms
RNA, Circular, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Humans, Neoplasms, Nervous System Diseases, RNA, Neoplasm, MicroRNAs

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