Endometrial microRNAs and their aberrant expression patterns
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REVIEW
Endometrial microRNAs and their aberrant expression patterns Shunsuke Tamaru1 · Takeshi Kajihara1 · Yosuke Mizuno2 · Yumi Mizuno1 · Hideno Tochigi1 · Osumu Ishihara1 Received: 29 March 2020 / Accepted: 12 April 2020 © The Japanese Society for Clinical Molecular Morphology 2020
Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. They play fundamental roles in several biological processes, including cell differentiation and proliferation, embryo development, organ development, and organ metabolism. Besides regulating the physiological processes, miRNAs regulate various pathological conditions such as tumors, metastases, metabolic diseases, and osteoporosis. Although several studies have been performed on miRNAs, only few studies have described the miRNA expression and functions in human reproductive tract tissues. During menstruation, the human endometrium undergoes extensive cyclic morphological and biochemical modifications before embryo implantation. In addition to the ovarian steroid hormones (estrogen and progesterone), endometrial autocrine or paracrine factors and embryo-derived signals play a significant role in endometrial functions. miRNAs are considered key regulators of gene expression in the human endometrium and implantation process, and their aberrant expression levels are associated with the development of various disorders, including tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the studies that show the role of miRNAs in regulating the physiological conditions of the endometrium and the implantation process and discuss the aberrant expression of miRNAs in ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, and endometrial cancer. Keywords Endometrium · MicroRNA · Implantation · Ectopic pregnancy · Endometriosis · Endometrial cancer
Introduction MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single-strand RNAs (21–25 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression in multiple biological processes such as cell differentiation, embryo development, organ development, and organ metabolism [1–4]. Apart from regulating the physiological processes, miRNAs have been implicated in controlling the expression of many target genes in various pathological conditions such as tumors, metastases, metabolic diseases, and osteoporosis [5–8]. More than 2500 different mature miRNA species present in humans have been registered in the miRNA database (http://www.mirbase.org) [9]. The regulatory functions of miRNAs are conserved
* Takeshi Kajihara kajihara@saitama‑med.ac.jp 1
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama, Iruma‑gun, Saitama, Japan
Division of Analytical Science, Biomedical Research Center Hidaka Branch, Saitama Medical University, 1397‑1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan
2
in most species of plants and animals and even in viruses [10, 11]. miRNAs are coded in the intergenic and the intragenic genomic regions, and they are often present in tandem with multiple miRNAs. These tandem miRNAs are in most cases transcribed by RNA polymerase II as
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