Many eukaryotic protein-coding genes are able to generate exonic circular RNAs. Most of these covalently linked transcripts are expressed at low levels, but some accumulate to higher levels than their associated linear mRNAs. We highlight several methodologies that have been developed in recent years to identify and characterize these transcripts, and which have revealed an increasingly detailed view of how circular RNAs can be generated and function. It is now clear that modulation of circular RNA levels can result in a variety of molecular and physiological phenotypes, including effects on the nervous system, innate immunity, microRNAs, and many disease-relevant pathways.

中文翻译：

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环状RNA的生物发生和功能成为人们关注的焦点。

许多真核蛋白质编码基因能够产生外显子环状RNA。这些共价连接的转录物大多数以低水平表达，但有些积累到比其相关的线性mRNA高的水平。我们重点介绍了近年来开发的用于鉴定和表征这些转录本的几种方法，它们揭示了环状RNA如何产生和发挥作用的越来越详细的观点。现在清楚的是，环状RNA水平的调节可导致多种分子和生理表型，包括对神经系统的影响，先天免疫，microRNA和许多与疾病相关的途径。