环RNA在细胞生命活动中起着重要的调控作用。我们前期鉴定出一类新型的环RNA，即线粒体编码的环RNAs（mecciRNAs）。通过研究发现，特定mecciRNAs在肝细胞癌中特异高表达。结合申请人的前期研究基础，在此青年基金资助下，我们将对特定mecciRNAs在肝细胞癌发生，发展及代谢中的作用及其机理进行研究。我们将分析mecciRNAs在肝细胞癌组织样品中表达与肿瘤临床特征之间的相关性；结合体内外实验，系统分析特定肝细胞癌相关mecciRNAs对细胞增殖、迁移、代谢、耗氧量、线粒体动态变化、应激等方面的影响，以解析其在肝细胞癌中的作用；深入探讨特定mecciRNAs发挥作用时参与的分子通路及机制。申请人希望在青年基金的支持下，能够阐明与肿瘤发生发展密切相关的mecciRNAs与肝细胞癌之间的关系，并为研究mecciRNAs这一新类型环RNA的功能重要性的认知做出贡献。

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important regulatory roles in multiple life events. We have identified a novel type of circRNAs, encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mecciRNAs). We found that the expressions of some specific mecciRNAs are significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Under the support of this grant, we will focus on the functions and functional mechanisms of specific mecciRNAs in the occurrence, development and metabolism of HCC. We will analyze the correlation between the expression of mecciRNAs and clinical characteristics of HCC. We will also examine the effects of specific HCC-related mecciRNAs on cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, metabolism, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial dynamics, stress response, etc. to figure out their roles. Furthermore, we will investigate the functional mechanisms of these mecciRNAs. We hope this grant would enable us to extensively uncover the relationship between mecciRNAs and HCC and to contribute to the understanding of the functional importance and mechanistic insight of mecciRNAs.