14 research outputs found
Non-Coding RNAs as Potential Neuroprotectants against Ischemic Brain Injury
Over the past decade, scientific discoveries have highlighted new roles for a unique class of non-coding RNAs. Transcribed from the genome, these non-coding RNAs have been implicated in determining the biological complexity seen in mammals by acting as transcriptional and translational regulators. Non-coding RNAs, which can be sub-classified into long non-coding RNAs, microRNAs, PIWI-interacting RNAs and several others, are widely expressed in the nervous system with roles in neurogenesis, development and maintenance of the neuronal phenotype. Perturbations of these non-coding transcripts have been observed in ischemic preconditioning as well as ischemic brain injury with characterization of the mechanisms by which they confer toxicity. Their dysregulation may also confer pathogenic conditions in neurovascular diseases. A better understanding of their expression patterns and functions has uncovered the potential use of these riboregulators as neuroprotectants to antagonize the detrimental molecular events taking place upon ischemic-reperfusion injury. In this review, we discuss the various roles of non-coding RNAs in brain development and their mechanisms of gene regulation in relation to ischemic brain injury. We will also address the future directions and open questions for identifying promising non-coding RNAs that could eventually serve as potential neuroprotectants against ischemic brain injury
Biological pathways to adaptability - interactions between genome, epigenome, nervous system and environment for adaptive behavior
Because living systems depend on their environment,
the evolution of environmental adaptability is inseparable
from the evolution of life itself (Pross 2003). In animals
and humans, environmental adaptability extends
further to adaptive behavior. It has recently emerged
that individual adaptability depends on the interaction
of adaptation mechanisms at diverse functional levels.
This interaction enables the integration of genetic,
epigenetic and environmental factors for coordinated
regulation of adaptations. In this review, we first present
the basis for the regulation of adaptation mechanisms
across functional levels. We then focus on neuronal
activity-regulated adaptation mechanisms that involve
the regulation of genes, noncoding DNA (ncDNA), ncRNAs
and proteins to change the structural and functional
properties of neurons. Finally, we discuss a selection of
these important neuronal activity-regulated molecules
and their effects on brain structure and function and
on behavior. Most of the evidence so far is based
on sampling of animal tissue or post-mortem studies
in humans. However, we also present techniques that
combine genetic with behavioral and neurophysiological
measures in humans (e.g. genetic imaging) and discuss
their potential and limitations. We argue that we need
to understand how neuronal activity-dependent adaptation
mechanisms integrate genetic, epigenetic and
experience-dependent signals in order to explain individual
variations in behavior and cognitive performance