The biogenesis and biological function of PIWI-interacting RNA in cancer

Abstract

Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are vital regulators of biological activities, and aberrant levels of small ncRNAs are commonly found in precancerous lesions and cancer. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a novel type of small ncRNA initially discovered in germ cells that have a specific length (24–31 nucleotides), bind to PIWI proteins, and show 2′-O-methyl modification at the 3′-end. Numerous studies have revealed that piRNAs can play important roles in tumorigenesis via multiple biological regulatory mechanisms, including silencing transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene processes and accelerating multiprotein interactions. piRNAs are emerging players in the malignant transformation of normal cells and participate in the regulation of cancer hallmarks. Most of the specific cancer hallmarks regulated by piRNAs are involved in sustaining proliferative signaling, resistance to cell death or apoptosis, and activation of invasion and metastasis. Additionally, piRNAs have been used as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and have great potential for clinical utility. However, research on the underlying mechanisms of piRNAs in cancer is limited. Here, we systematically reviewed recent advances in the biogenesis and biological functions of piRNAs and relevant bioinformatics databases with the aim of providing insights into cancer diagnosis and clinical applications. We also focused on some cancer hallmarks rarely reported to be related to piRNAs, which can promote in-depth research of piRNAs in molecular biology and facilitate their clinical translation into cancer treatment.

Changes in the Small Noncoding RNAome During M1 and M2 Macrophage Polarization

“…The mature piRNA combined with PIWI can direct its complex to the transposon target of the target transcript in the nucleus and mobilize the silencing mechanism to organize the expression of transposable elements to maintain the integrity of the genome ( 24 ). To date, piRNAs have been shown to be involved in transposon silencing, epigenetic regulation, gene and protein regulation, genome rearrangement, spermatogenesis and germ cell maintenance ( 24 , 25 ). Small nucleolar molecule RNA (snoRNA) is a kind of short stranded noncoding RNA related to the chemical modification of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) ( 26 ).…”

Non-coding RNA delivery for bone tissue engineering: Progress, challenges, and potential solutions

“…P-element-induced wimpy testis (Piwi) interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a novel class of less-studied small ncRNAs originally found in germ cells, which play critical roles in the differentiation and maintenance of germ cells ( Yamashiro and Siomi, 2018 ). piRNAs are 24–31 nucleotides in length and exhibit 2′- O -methyl modifications at the 3′ terminus ( Chen et al., 2021b ). Unlike miRNAs and siRNAs, piRNAs are slightly longer and are generated from single-stranded precursors that do not involve Dicer or the formation of secondary structures ( Lin et al., 2021 ).…”

“…Unlike miRNAs and siRNAs, piRNAs are slightly longer and are generated from single-stranded precursors that do not involve Dicer or the formation of secondary structures ( Lin et al., 2021 ). Statistically, there are more than 20,000 known piRNAs in the human genome, which is more than 10 times the number of miRNAs; this suggests that piRNAs may play an important role in gene expression ( Chen et al., 2021b ; Kozomara et al., 2019 ; Kozomara and Griffiths-Jones, 2014 ; Lin et al., 2021 ).…”

Role of Sphingolipids in Multiple Myeloma Progression, Drug Resistance, and Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets

“…PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNA), are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with a length of 24–32 nucleotides and 2’-O-methylation at their 3’-end, which can play both an agonistic and antagonistic role in the development of cancer ( 165 ). A recent study showed that S1P-S1PR signaling regulated MM survival through upregulation of piR-004800 ( 166 ).…”