Abstract:
In the decades following the discovery that genes encode proteins, scientists have tried to exhaustively and comprehensively characterize the human genome. Recent advances in computational methods along with transcriptomic and proteomic techniques have now shown that historically non-coding genomic regions may contain non-canonical open reading frames (ncORFs), which may encode functional miniproteins or otherwise exert regulatory activity through coding-independent functions. Increasingly, it is clear that these ncORFs may play critical roles in major human diseases such as cancer. In this review, we summarize the history and current progress of ncORF research and explore the known functions of ncORFs and the miniproteins they may encode. We particularly highlight the emerging body of evidence supporting a role for ncORFs and miniproteins contributions in cancer. Finally, we provide a blueprint for high-priority areas of future research for ncORFs in cancer, focusing on ncORF detection, functional characterization, and therapeutic intervention.
摘要:
在发现基因编码蛋白质后的几十年里,科学家们试图详尽而全面地描述人类基因组。计算方法以及转录组学和蛋白质组学技术的最新进展现在表明,历史上的非编码基因组区域可能包含非规范开放阅读框(ncORF)。其可以编码功能性微蛋白或以其他方式通过编码非依赖性功能发挥调节活性。越来越多,很明显,这些ncORF可能在人类主要疾病如癌症中起关键作用。在这次审查中,我们总结了ncORF研究的历史和当前进展,并探讨了ncORF的已知功能及其可能编码的微小蛋白。我们特别强调了支持ncORF和微小蛋白在癌症中的作用的新兴证据。最后,我们为癌症中ncORF的未来研究提供了高度优先领域的蓝图,专注于ncORF检测,功能表征,和治疗干预。本文受版权保护。保留所有权利。