Emerging roles and potential application of PIWI-interacting RNA in urological tumors

Jingcheng Zhang; Wentao Zhang; Yuchao Liu; Man Pi; Yufeng Jiang; Ailiyaer Ainiwaer; Shiyu Mao; Haotian Chen; Yuefei Ran; Shuwen Sun; Wei Li; Xudong Yao; Zhengyan Chang; Yang Yan

doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1054216

Emerging roles and potential application of PIWI-interacting RNA in urological tumors

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 17:13:1054216. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1054216. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jingcheng Zhang^{1

2}, Wentao Zhang^{1

2}, Yuchao Liu^{1

2}, Man Pi³, Yufeng Jiang^{1

2}, Ailiyaer Ainiwaer^{1

2}, Shiyu Mao^{1

2}, Haotian Chen^{1

2}, Yuefei Ran^{1

2}, Shuwen Sun^{4

5}, Wei Li^{1

2}, Xudong Yao^{1

2}, Zhengyan Chang³, Yang Yan^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
² Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
³ Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
⁵ Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.

Abstract

The piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) is P-Element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA which is a small molecule, non-coding RNA with a length of 24-32nt. It was originally found in germ cells and is considered a regulator of germ cell function. It can interact with PIWI protein, a member of the Argonaute family, and play a role in the regulation of gene transcription and epigenetic silencing of transposable factors in the nucleus. More and more studies have shown that piRNAs are abnormally expressed in a variety of cancer tissues and patient fluids, and may become diagnostic tools, therapeutic targets, staging markers, and prognostic evaluation tools for cancer. This article reviews the recent research on piRNA and summarizes the structural characteristics, production mechanism, applications, and its role in urological tumors, to provide a reference value for piRNA to regulate urological tumors.

Keywords: PIWI; application; non-coding RNA; piRNAs; urological tumors.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Argonaute Proteins / genetics
Argonaute Proteins / metabolism
Epigenesis, Genetic
Humans
Piwi-Interacting RNA*
RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
Urologic Neoplasms* / genetics

Substances

Argonaute Proteins
Piwi-Interacting RNA
RNA, Small Interfering

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Youth Project (#81602469; #82101838; #82002923); General Project of Shanghai Natural Science Foundation of China (#20ZR1443000); Experimental Animal Fund of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission (#22140903800; #201409004000); Clinical Special Project of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (#202040179); The Science and Technology Commission of Chongming District, Shanghai (#CKY- 2020-24).