Possibilities of interactions of circular RNAS with nucleic acids and proteins

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are long, covalently closed RNA molecules with unique properties. Most are thought to function as competitive endogenous RNAs, interacting with microRNAs, DNA, and proteins to regulate gene expression, both in health and in various pathologies. Recently, Maxim P. Nikitin described the phenomenon of “strand commutation”, namely the interaction of weakly complementary nucleic acids (NAs) molecules demonstrating in vitro that their role can be compared to “classical” complementary interactions. This discovery may be particularly important for understanding the functions of circRNAs as competitive endogenous RNAs. Given the resistance of circRNAs to nucleases compared to linear RNAs, their contribution to the regulation of interactions with NAs and proteins, including those with low affinity, may be quite significant. An analysis of the potential for circRNA interactions with RNAs and proteins is presented. The review included data from 35 publications of research results and systematic reviews available in the PubMed database. Conclusion. We believe that studying the role of circRNAs as regulators of gene expression, including through low-affinity interactions, will allow us to understand the principle of formation of regulatory networks and thus open up new possibilities for the further development of methods for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.