The Regulation and Role of piRNAs and PIWI Proteins in Cancer

Jeong, Hye-Seon; Park, Kyung Hwan; Lee, Yuri; Jeong, Ayoung; Choi, Soo Hyuk; Kim, Kyung Won

doi:10.3390/pr9071208

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 81 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Other forms of genomic stress are encountered during cancer development and DNA virus replication in the nucleus. While in mammals the role of the piRNA pathway in the regulation of cancer cell function has received wide interest [ 278 ], its involvement in virus infection remains understudied [ 279 ], which could be related to the preferential expression of Piwi proteins in the germline [ 280 ]. Interestingly, the Piwi proteins Aub and Ago3 have recently been shown to have a proviral role during the infection of BmNPV ( Baculoviridae ) in silkworm larvae (discussed in Section 4.4 ; [ 204 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Are the Functional Roles of Piwi Proteins and piRNAs in Insects?

Santos

Feng

Κολλιοπούλου

et al. 2023

Insects

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Research on Piwi proteins and piRNAs in insects has focused on three experimental models: oogenesis and spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, the antiviral response in Aedes mosquitoes and the molecular analysis of primary and secondary piRNA biogenesis in Bombyx mori-derived BmN4 cells. Significant unique and complementary information has been acquired and has led to a greater appreciation of the complexity of piRNA biogenesis and Piwi protein function. Studies performed in other insect species are emerging and promise to add to the current state of the art on the roles of piRNAs and Piwi proteins. Although the primary role of the piRNA pathway is genome defense against transposons, particularly in the germline, recent findings also indicate an expansion of its functions. In this review, an extensive overview is presented of the knowledge of the piRNA pathway that so far has accumulated in insects. Following a presentation of the three major models, data from other insects were also discussed. Finally, the mechanisms for the expansion of the function of the piRNA pathway from transposon control to gene regulation were considered.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Are the Functional Roles of Piwi Proteins and piRNAs in Insects?

Santos

Feng

Κολλιοπούλου

et al. 2023

Insects

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The durability of piRNAs can be credited to the presence of the 20- O -methyl modification, which serves as a shield against potential degradation factors like thirty uridylation and truncation, both of which are known to impact the stability of small RNAs [ 237 ]. Alternatively, piRNAs present in the blood may be encapsulated within extracellular vesicles, such as microvesicles and exosomes, offering resistance against degradation by ribonucleases [ 238 ]. It is worth noting that exosomal piRNAs have been quantified in serum.…”

Section: Pirnas As Cancer Biomarkersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To ensure the effectiveness of these innovative piRNA biomarkers, it is crucial to conduct additional research for early detection of cancer at its initial stages and long-term monitoring of tumor advancement. The validation process for piRNAs requires independent studies with larger sample sizes and comprehensive clinical datasets to establish their reliability [ 238 ]. This ensures that the findings related to piRNAs and their potential applications in cancer diagnosis and prognosis are robust and applicable across diverse patient populations.…”

Section: Pirnas As Cancer Biomarkersmentioning

confidence: 99%

PIWI-interacting RNAs (PiRNAs) as emerging biomarkers and therapeutic targets in biliary tract cancers: A comprehensive review

Ahmadi Asouri,

Aghadavood,

Mirzaei

et al. 2024

Heliyon

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…For example, piRISCs can also influence importantly in the subcellular localization of the protein, producing unexpected loss or gain function [ 40 , 54 , 61 ]. Interestingly, as will be described next, these piRISC-protein interactions can directly or indirectly trigger the activation of pro-carcinogenic proteins or the inactivation of tumor-suppressor proteins, as occurs in most cancer tissues, via some post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, among others [ 16 , 62 ].…”

Section: The Functions Of the Pirna/piwi Complexmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emerging Role of PIWI-Interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Updated Perspective

Riquelme

Pérez-Moreno

Letelier

et al. 2021

Cancers

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers produce ~3.4 million related deaths worldwide, comprising 35% of all cancer-related deaths. The high mortality among GI cancers is due to late diagnosis, the presence of metastasis and drug resistance development. Additionally, current clinical markers do not adequately guide patient management, thereby new and more reliable biomarkers and therapeutic targets are still needed for these diseases. RNA-seq technology has allowed the discovery of new types of RNA transcripts including PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), which have particular characteristics that enable these molecules to act via diverse molecular mechanisms for regulating gene expression. Cumulative evidence has described the potential role of piRNAs in the development of several tumor types as a likely explanation for certain genomic abnormalities and signaling pathways’ deregulations observed in cancer. In addition, these piRNAs might be also proposed as promising diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers or as potential therapeutic targets in malignancies. This review describes important topics about piRNAs including their molecular characteristics, biosynthesis processes, gene expression silencing mechanisms, and the manner in which these transcripts have been studied in samples and cell lines of GI cancers to elucidate their implications in these diseases. Moreover, this article discusses the potential clinical usefulness of piRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in GI cancers.

show abstract

The Regulation and Role of piRNAs and PIWI Proteins in Cancer

Cited by 8 publications

References 81 publications

What Are the Functional Roles of Piwi Proteins and piRNAs in Insects?

What Are the Functional Roles of Piwi Proteins and piRNAs in Insects?

PIWI-interacting RNAs (PiRNAs) as emerging biomarkers and therapeutic targets in biliary tract cancers: A comprehensive review

The Emerging Role of PIWI-Interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Updated Perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About