The non-coding microRNAs present in our genome regulate the circadian rhythm of our cells. When this is disturbed, the whole body suffers, which would have consequences for certain pathologies.
-1609908030.jpg "The biological clock plays a role in our sleep and in diseases")
- The circadian rhythm of our cells is controlled by microRNAs, non-coding structures inside the genome.
- Depending on whether they are activated or not, they manage the cells’ sleep and wakefulness rhythms.
- According to the researchers, their disturbances could play a role in certain pathologies.
Jet lag after air travel is common, and this backlash disrupts the circadian rhythm. The molecular clock that governs all the cells of the body, which indicates times of rest and wakefulness, must remain regulated to ensure optimal functioning of the body. For over a decade, scientists have been trying to understand how it works and how it might affect diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and diabetes. In a study published on January 5, 2021 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)researchers say they have discovered a new cog in the circadian clock.
An essential part of our biological clock
This cog, known as microRNA (miRNA) is a genome-wide regulatory layer made up of small chains of non-coding nucleotides. According to the researchers, miRNAs may play a role in the functioning of circadian clocks. “We’ve seen how important the function of these clock-regulating genes really is in many different diseases.says Steve Kay, senior professor of neurology and biomedical engineering at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. But what we haven’t seen is a whole different kind of gene network that’s also important for circadian regulation. It’s the amazing world of what we call non-coding microRNA.”
To understand the potential of these microRNAs, researchers have developed robots capable of performing high-throughput experiments. Put simply, these robots were able to test up to 1,000 miRNAs by transferring them individually into cells that the team specially designed to switch on and off based on the 24-hour circadian cycle. cells. Thanks to this experiment, they were able to understand which cells were responsible for the circadian rhythm at the scale of the genome. “To our surprise, we discovered about 110-120 miRNAs that do this”, is surprised Steve Kay.
Different effects depending on the fabrics
Secondly, the researchers verified the effects on circadian rhythms by inactivating certain identified microRNAs. Inactivation of these microRNAs had the opposite effect on the cells’ circadian rhythm. By reproducing the experiment on mice, they found that the inactivation of these groups interfered with the behavior of rodents, which no longer played in their wheel in the dark, unlike control mice. By examining brain, retina, and lung tissue, researchers found that silencing miRNAs affected circadian rhythms differently depending on tissue type, suggesting that how miRNAs regulate the circadian clock is unique to each fabric.
“In the brain, we seek to link the biological clock to pathologies like Alzheimer’s disease, in the lungs, we seek to link it to diseases like asthmanotes Steve Kay. The next step, I think, will be to model disease states in animals and cells and study how these microRNAs work in those disease states.“Thus, understanding the effect of miRNAs on the circadian clock in tissues could reveal new ways to treat or prevent specific diseases.
-1609908030.jpg&description=The+biological+clock+plays+a+role+in+our+sleep+and+in+diseases){kind=link}