关键词: 生态毒理学, circRNAs, 模式生物, 生物标志物

Abstract: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of covalent closed ring noncoding RNA, which has the characteristics of conservative evolution, stable structure and tissue specific expression. CircRNAs can act as miRNAs sponges to affect the regulation of genes, and interact with RNA binding proteins (RBPs). Some studies have shown that some circRNAs have the potential to be translated into proteins. CircRNAs has been proved to have specificity, stability and regulatory function for some diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. They can be used as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis and therapeutic targets. Recently, it has been found that circRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of toxic effects induced by environmental chemical pollutants. At present, the toxicity endpoint of evaluating the relationship between chemical pollutants and toxic effects of environmental pollutants in ecotoxicology research is usually affected by genetic polymorphism and epigenetics. Considering the phenomenon of differential expression of circRNAs in organisms after exposure to environmental chemical pollutants, circRNAs may also be used as biomarkers in ecotoxicological researches. Based on the above, the biosynthesis and degradation, biological functions, analytical methods of circRNAs and their current applications in ecotoxicology were reviewed, and the application of circRNAs as molecular biomarkers in early diagnosis and ecological risk assessment of environmental pollutant exposure was prospected, in order to provide reference for ecotoxicological researches and environmental risk assessment.

Key words: ecotoxicology, circRNAs, model organism, biomarker