The Role of Noncoding RNAs in Brain Cells during Rat Cerebral Ischemia

Abstract

Ischemic brain stroke is one of the most serious and socially important medical conditions. Transcriptome analysis is a prospective approach to the study of the mechanisms of brain functioning, both under normal conditions and in ischemia. In addition to mRNA encoding proteins, the study of noncoding RNAs in ischemia has exceptional importance for the development of new strategies for neuroprotection. Of greatest interest are microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). circRNAs have a closed structure and predominantly brain-specific expression. They can interact with miRNAs, diminish their activity, and thereby inhibit miRNA-mediated repression of mRNA. Recently, it has become clear that the analysis of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions is an important requirement for the detailed study of the mechanisms of damage and regeneration during ischemia. This chapter reviews the most recent data on the role of circRNAs, miRNAs, mRNAs, and their interactions in brain cells under normal conditions and in cerebral ischemia.