Cells (Jul 2020)

The Secret Garden of Neuronal circRNAs

  • Silvia Gasparini,
  • Valerio Licursi,
  • Carlo Presutti,
  • Cecilia Mannironi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9081815
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 8
p. 1815

Abstract

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High-throughput transcriptomic profiling approaches have revealed that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important transcriptional gene products, identified across a broad range of organisms throughout the eukaryotic tree of life. In the nervous system, they are particularly abundant, developmentally regulated, region-specific, and enriched in genes for neuronal proteins and synaptic factors. These features suggested that circRNAs are key components of an important layer of neuronal gene expression regulation, with known and anticipated functions. Here, we review major recognized aspects of circRNA biogenesis, metabolism and biological activities, examining potential new functions in the context of the nervous system.

Keywords