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' UTR is no longer a “junk” area of genetics, how does it affect disease risk?Explore the latest research findings
In molecular genetics, an untranslated region (UTR) refers to a region on both sides of a coding sequence on an mRNA.The 5' end is called a 5' UTR, and the 3' end is called a 3' UTR.Although these regions do not encode proteins, they play an important regulatory role in gene expression and are gradually receiving attention from the scientific community.
When we understand the structure of mRNA in depth, we will find that the functionality and complexity of UTR far exceed previous cognition.In particular, 3' UTR, which was once considered as the "junk" RNA accumulated during evolution, has now shown to be associated with the development of a variety of diseases.
These regions that were originally considered useless are now proven to play an important role in the regulation of gene expression.
Structure and Function of UTR
The 5' UTR of the mRNA is located upstream of the coding sequence and contains a sequence recognized by the ribosome, which enables the ribosome to bind and initiate translation.The 3' UTR is located after the translation stop codon, and also plays a key role in translation termination and post-transcription modification.
In the process of evolution, more and more studies have shown that UTR is not only a participant in regulating gene expression, but also maintains a certain degree of conservatism in the evolution process between different organisms.This suggests that UTRs may possess complex functions relative to simple RNAs and their long-term importance in cellular biology.
Connection with Disease
As the understanding of these untranslated areas deepens, many studies have begun to explore their potential links to various diseases.For example, polymorphisms in the HLA-G 3' UTR region are correlated with the development of colon cancer.
A growing number of medical studies have shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 3' UTRs may be associated with increased risk of a variety of diseases, including premature birth and cerebral amyloid vascular disease.
Future research direction
Although some summary has been made about the properties and functions of UTR, there are still many unknown areas waiting to be explored.Mutations in the 3' UTR in particular may alter the expression of multiple genes that seem unrelated to it, which provides a challenge for the normal progression of cellular function.
In-depth understanding of the function of UTR not only helps to reveal the basic norms of cell function, but also provides a new perspective for disease prevention and treatment.Gene regulatory networks are complex and intertwined. With the continuous progress of research, we have begun to realize the importance of UTR to be underestimated.
We still know very little about the role of UTR in disease states so far, does this suggest that we should conduct a more in-depth study of these "non-coding" areas?
