The interaction of circRNAs and RNA binding proteins: An important part of circRNA maintenance and function

Abstract

The widespread expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is regarded as a feature of gene expression in highly diverged eukaryotes. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs can act as a miRNA sponge to repress miRNA function, participate in splicing of target genes, translate genes into protein and interact with RNA binding proteins (RBPs). RBPs are a broad class of proteins involved in gene transcription and translation, and interaction with RBPs is considered an important part of circRNA function, which can serve as an essential element underlying the functions of circRNAs, including genesis, translation, transcriptional regulation of target genes, and extracellular transport. In this mini-review, we attempt to explore in detail the relationship between circRNAs and RBPs, and the interactions between the two factors. The goal of this review is to investigate the emerging studies of RBPs and circRNAs to better understand how their interaction alters cellular function.