Circular RNA Involvement in Aging and Longevity

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are transcribed by RNA polymerase II and are mostly generated by the back-splicing of exons in the protein-coding gene. Massive circRNAs are reported to be differentially expressed in different species, implicating their prospects as aging biomarkers or regulators in the aging progression. METHODS: The possible role of circRNAs in aging and longevity was reviewed by the query of circRNAs from literature reports related to tissue, organ or cellular senescence, and individual longevity. RESULTS: A number of circRNAs have been found to positively and negatively modulate aging and longevity through canonical aging pathways in the invertebrates Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. Recent studies have also shown that circRNAs regulate age-related processes and pathologies such various mammalian tissues, as the brain, serum, heart, and muscle. Besides, three identified representative circRNAs (circSfl, circGRIA1, and circNF1-419) were elucidated to correlate with aging and longevity. CONCLUSION: This review outlined the current studies of circRNAs in aging and longevity, highlighting the role of circRNAs as a biomarker of aging and as a regulator of longevity.