Role of microRNAs in neurodegeneration induced by environmental neurotoxicants and aging

• Published in: Ageing research reviews 2020-07, Vol.60, p.101068, Article 101068
• Main Authors: Singh, Tanisha, Yadav, Sanjay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; microRNA; Neurodegeneration; Neurotoxicants
• ISSN: 1568-1637; 1872-9649
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101068

[Display omitted] •Aging induced non-pathological molecular and cellular changes and disturbed proteostasis are protuberant risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.•Neurotoxicants are any chemical, biological, and physical agents that alter the regular activity of the nervous system leading to neurodegenerative diseases.•Alterations in expression of mRNAs through regulatory RNA molecules known as microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a molecular mechanism regulating aging and neurotoxicant induced degeneration of brain cells.•MiRNAs, which regulate both aging and neurotoxicant induced neurodegeneration are miR-34 (targets P53, SIRT1 & PARKIN) miR-29 (targets VDAC1, P53 & BACE1) and miR-126 (targets Insulin/IGF-1/ PI3K/AKT associated pathways).•Identification of miRNAs, common in aging and neurotoxicant induced neurodegeneration, will help in understanding the molecular mechanism of neurodegenerative disease. The progressive loss of neuronal structure and functions resulting in the death of neurons is considered as neurodegeneration. Environmental toxicants induced degeneration of neurons is accelerated with aging. In adult brains, most of the neurons are post-mitotic, and their loss results in the development of diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Huntington's disease (HD). Neurodegenerative diseases have several similarities at the sub-cellular and molecular levels, such as synaptic degeneration, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cognitive decline, which are also known in brain aging. Identification of these similarities at the molecular level offers hope for the development of new therapeutics to ameliorate all neurodegenerative diseases simultaneously. Aging is known as the most strongly associated additive factor in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Studies carried out so far identified several genes, which are responsible for selective degeneration of neurons in different neurodegenerative diseases. Countless efforts have been made in identifying therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases; however, the discovery of effective therapy remains elusive. Findings made in the last two decades identified microRNAs (miRNAs) as the most potent post-transcription regulatory RNA molecule, which can condition protein levels in the cell and tissue-specific manner. Identification of miRNAs, which regulate both neurotoxicant and aging-associated degeneration of brain cells, raise