MicroRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs: potential tumor biomarkers and targets for colorectal cancer

Abstract

Shuaixi Yang,1,* Zhenqiang Sun,1,* Quanbo Zhou,1,* Weiwei Wang,2,3 Guixian Wang,1 Junmin Song,1 Zhen Li,1 Zhiyong Zhang,1 Yuan Chang,1 Kunkun Xia,1 Jinbo Liu,1 Weitang Yuan1 1Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) can be divided into microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), pRNAs, and tRNAs. Traditionally, miRNAs exert their biological function mainly through the inhibition of translation via the induction of target RNA transcript degradation. lncRNAs and circRNAs were once considered to have no potential to code proteins. Here, we will review the current knowledge on ncRNAs in relation to their origins, characteristics, and functions. We will also review how ncRNAs work as competitive endogenous RNA, gene transcription and expression regulators, and RNA-binding protein sponges in colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, except for the abovementioned mechanisms, recent advances revealed that lncRNAs can also act as the precursor of miRNAs, and a small portion of lncRNAs and circRNAs was verified to have the potential to code proteins, providing new evidence for the significance of ncRNAs in CRC tumorigenesis and development. Keywords: biomarker, competitive endogenous RNA, tumorigenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, metastasis, chemoresistance

Keywords

• Colorectal cancer
• MiRNA
• Long noncoding RNA
• Circular RNA