The biological modalities of transmission of nervous communications are clearer, thanks to an Italian study. A research by Sapienza and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) has in fact described, for the first time, a control mechanism of the morphology of neurons and nervous communications that is based on the interaction between a non-coding RNA and a messenger RNA. The study, published in ‘Nucleic Acids Research’, opens new interpretations on the actual role of the various types of RNA in biological processes.
RNA molecules that do not produce proteins, called non-coding, have been described in the last decade as fundamental for the modulation of the expression of the information contained in genes and of the processes that determine the development of different tissues and organs, including the nervous system. Their peculiar characteristic of acting on the single tissue in a specific manner and at precise moments of development and cellular differentiation makes this class of molecules extremely interesting in the field of biomedical research.
In the study coordinated by Sapienza and IIT, and funded by an Erc-Synergy project, a new molecule of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) called CyCoNP was discovered, and the mechanism through which it regulates the branching of neural extensions (neurites) responsible for the transmission and reception of nerve impulses was described. The results of the work confirm the role of non-coding RNAs in the control of neuronal homeostasis, thus expanding the list of possible targets and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neurological diseases.
The researchers, coordinated by Irene Bozzoni of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin of Sapienza and the CLN2S center of Iit, have characterized the molecular and biological mechanism through which this lncRna acts. Specifically, it was discovered that CyCoNP is very abundant in human motor neurons, particularly in the early phase of differentiation where cells at the neural progenitor stage are abundant. In these cells, lncRna precisely regulates the expression levels of NCAM1, a protein essential for neuronal functionality and especially for the regulation of neurite branching.
The researchers were able to dissect in detail the mechanism of action of CyCoNP, which involves the physical interaction between the lncRna, the messenger RNA that allows the production of NCAM1, and a microRNA that is able to target both molecules. The work, which describes a mechanism of action that has not yet been characterized for non-coding RNAs, significantly contributes to expanding the knowledge on the functioning of this heterogeneous class of molecules and how they can play a key role in vital processes of our cells, such as the regulation of the transmission of nerve signals.
“Maintaining a high level of attention on the study of the multiple modes of action of noncoding RNAs is crucial to elucidate new mechanisms by which RNA functions in specific biological processes,” the researchers conclude.
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