RNA and Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer’s Disease: Focus on microRNAs

Figure 1

Overview of interrelations among oxidative stress, RNA species modification/dysregulation, and neurodegenerative changes in Alzheimer’s disease. Oxidative stress can induce two modes of oxidative insults on RNA species, i.e., direct oxidation of RNAs and oxidative dysregulation of the microRNA (miRNAs) expression. These modifications and dysregulations of RNAs potentially induce neuronal apoptosis or nonlethal neuronal dysfunction as well as amyloid β overproduction and tau hyperphosphorylation. Besides these changes as consequences of oxidative stress, altered expressions of some miRNAs are associated with an acceleration of oxidative stress, while those of others are associated with a compensatory reduction of oxidative stress. Of note, dysmetabolism of amyloid β can be a cause or a consequence of oxidative stress. Oxidized transfer RNAs and oxidized microRNAs have been reported only in cellular and animal models, but the other changes in RNAs shown in this figure have been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease.