tRNA-derived fragments as New Hallmarks of Aging and Age-related Diseases

Ya Yuan; Jiamei Li; Zhi He; Xiaolan Fan; Xueping Mao; Mingyao Yang; Deying Yang

doi:10.14336/AD.2021.0115

tRNA-derived fragments as New Hallmarks of Aging and Age-related Diseases

Aging Dis. 2021 Aug 1;12(5):1304-1322. doi: 10.14336/AD.2021.0115. eCollection 2021 Aug.

Authors

Ya Yuan¹, Jiamei Li¹, Zhi He¹, Xiaolan Fan^{1

2}, Xueping Mao^{1

2}, Mingyao Yang^{1

2}, Deying Yang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ 1Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China.
² 2Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China.

Abstract

tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), which are non-coding RNAs produced via tRNA cleavage with lengths of 14 to 50 nucleotides, originate from precursor tRNAs or mature tRNAs and exist in a wide range of organisms. tRFs are produced not by random fracture of tRNAs but by specific mechanisms. Considerable evidence shows that tRFs are detectable in model organisms of different ages and are associated with age-related diseases in humans, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In this literature review, the origin and classification of tRFs and the regulatory mechanisms of tRFs in aging and age-related diseases are summarized. We also describe the available tRF databases and research techniques and lay a foundation for the exploration of tRFs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of aging and age-related diseases.

Keywords: age-related diseases; aging; regulation mechanisms; tRFs.

Publication types

Review