人类miR-941调控细胞骨架重塑和p53介导的细胞死亡分子机制研究

miR-941是迄今唯一报道的人类特有小RNA，它在人类进化枝的出现可能与大脑进化相关，但其在人类细胞结构和功能的正常维持与执行中的作用尚不得而知。我们在前期工作中发现miR-941的缺失诱发伴随p53基因mRNA水平和蛋白分布改变的细胞死亡，而miR-941过表达同样影响p53的表达水平，且引发微管的不稳定性。本项目拟进一步研究(1)miR-941对细胞骨架重要相关基因的表达、微丝微管的结构和分布及动态性的调控作用；(2)miR-941诱导的细胞骨架重塑对p53功能的影响，进而解析miR-941的功能和作用机制。本研究将有助于miR-941功能的全面揭示以及深入理解人类进化中获得的新基因的独特功能。

miR-941 is the only human-specific microRNA identified so far. Its emergence in the human lineage may contribute to human brain evolution, but the cellular function of miR-941 remains unknown. Our previous work indicated that miR-941 overexpression weakened microtubule stability and increased the p53 mRNA level, while miR-941 deficiency causes cell death with changes in both p53 mRNA levels and protein distribution. In this project, we will study (1) the regulatory effects of miR-941 on genes that are important for cytoskeleton remodeling, and (2) the effects of miR-941-triggered cytoskeleton remodeling on p53 activation. We believe that this research will uncover the molecular and cellular functions of miR-941 and expand our understanding of the unique function of new genes acquired during human evolution.