Disorders and roles of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA in cancer

Abstract

Most small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) with regulatory functions are encoded by majority sequences in the human genome, and the emergence of high-throughput sequencing technology has greatly expanded our understanding of sncRNAs. sncRNAs are composed of a variety of RNAs, including tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), small nuclear RNA (snRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), etc. While for some, sncRNAs’ implication in several pathologies is now well established, the potential involvement of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA in human diseases is only beginning to emerge. Recently, accumulating pieces of evidence demonstrate that tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA play an important role in many biological processes, and their dysregulation is closely related to the progression of cancer. Abnormal expression of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA participates in the occurrence and development of tumours through different mechanisms, such as transcriptional inhibition and post-transcriptional regulation. In this review, we describe the research progress in the classification, biogenesis and biological function of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA. Moreover, we emphasised their dysregulation and mechanism of action in cancer and discussed their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

Emerging noncoding RNAs contained in extracellular vesicles: rising stars as biomarkers in lung cancer liquid biopsy

“…Although they can be detected in the blood of cancer patients, few reports have been published about piRNAs contained in EVs. 140 …”

Transfer RNAs-derived small RNAs and their application potential in multiple diseases

“…Such overexpressed tsRNAs can be knocked down by specific siRNAs which are regarded as therapeutic targets ( Wang et al, 2022b ). Some other tsRNAs are downregulated in patients, so the restoration of their intracellular levels may inhibit the disease progression ( Xiao et al, 2022 ). Furthermore, tsRNAs play an important role by binding to 3′ UTR of certain mRNA and inhibit development of diseases ( Wang et al, 2020b) .…”

Small Non-Coding RNAs in Human Cancer

“…sncRNAs include classical small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), transfer RNAs (tRNAs), small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), and small nuclear RNA (snRNA), as well as newly discovered non-canonical sncRNAs in the biological world, including tRNA-derived-small RNAs (tsRNAs), vault RNA-derived-small RNAs (vtRNAs), and Y RNA-derived-small RNAs (ytRNAs) [ 9 ]. They can regulate cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and other crucial biological processes by regulating gene expression during cancer development [ 10 , 11 ], and their dysregulation can trigger homeostatic imbalances that lead to the occurrence and development of diseases such as cancer. Here, we focus on the biological process and roles in tumorigenesis and progression of sncRNAs with length < 50 nt, mainly including classical microRNAs, PIWI-interacting RNAs, and tRNA-derived-small RNAs.…”