CircRNAs in the brain
Open accessAbstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly abundant and evolutionarily conserved non-coding RNAs produced by circularization of specific exons. Since their re-discovery as potential regulators of gene expression, thousands of circRNAs were detected in different tissues and cell types across most organisms. Accumulating data suggest key roles for them in the central nervous system. Neuronal-expressed RNAs are diverted to yield highly enriched CircRNAs in human, mouse, pig and flies, with many of them enriched in neuronal tissues. CircRNA levels are dynamically modulated in neurons, both during differentiation and following bursts of electrical activity, and accumulate with age, and many of them are enriched in synapses. Together, available data suggest that circRNAs have important roles in synaptic plasticity and neuronal function. This review covers current advances in the field and lays out hypotheses regarding functions of circRNAs in the brain as well as their putative involvement in initiation and progression of neurodegenerative processes.
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CircRNAs play essential roles in neurological disorders because they back-splice from neural genes and many circRNAs originate from genes with pivotal regulatory functions in neurons and in brain development.
“CircRNAs are believed to play essential roles in neurological disorders because they back-splice from neural genes and many circRNAs originate from genes with pivotal regulatory functions in neurons and in brain development [67].”
From Circular RNAs in depression: Biogenesis, function, expression, and therapeutic potential (2021) · cites this paper as [67]
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The biogenesis, biology and characterization of circular RNAs
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Circular RNAs in depression: Biogenesis, function, expression, and therapeutic potential
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- Authors
- Hanan, M., Soreq, H., & Kadener, S.
- Affiliations
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
- ORCID
- Soreq, Hermona
- Venue
- RNA Biology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-12-05
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1028-1034
- ISSN
- 1547-6286 (ISSN-L)
- 1555-8584
- PMC
- PMC5680707
- OpenAlex
- W2559572851
- Cited by
- 229
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6
- FWCI
- 0.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- RNA Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
- 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 › Molecular Biology › RNA regulation and disease
- Keywords
- circular RNA, non-coding RNA, brain, neurons, synaptic plasticity, synapses, neuronal differentiation, neuronal activity, aging, neurodegeneration, gene expression regulation
- MeSH terms
- RNA, Circular, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Animals, Brain, Drosophila melanogaster, Exons, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Neuronal Plasticity, Neurons, RNA, Swine, Synapses, RNA-Binding Proteins, MicroRNAs, Mice, Frontotemporal Dementia
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