Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells
06:48

A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells

Published on: June 16, 2022

Current perspectives in intronic micro RNAs (miRNAs)

Shao-Yao Ying1, Shi-Lung Lin

  • 1Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, BMT-403, University of Southern California, 1333 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. sying@usc.edu

Journal of Biomedical Science
|October 18, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Intronic microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and offer new therapeutic avenues. Their functional significance in vivo highlights their evolutionary preservation and potential for disease research.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs involved in gene silencing.
  • Intronic miRNAs, derived from introns, differ in biogenesis from intergenic miRNAs.
  • Existing miRNA search tools often overlook intronic sequences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the function and application of intronic miRNAs.
  • To investigate the evolutionary conservation of intronic miRNA gene regulation.
  • To establish intronic miRNA-mediated transgenic animals as a research model.

Main Methods:

  • Identification and characterization of intronic miRNAs in various organisms.
  • Generation of intronic miRNA-mediated transgenic animal models (zebrafish, mice).
  • Analysis of gene silencing mechanisms and functional significance in vivo.

Main Results:

  • Functional significance of artificially generated intronic miRNAs confirmed in vivo.
  • Evidence of evolutionary preservation of intronic miRNA-mediated gene regulation.
  • Demonstration of multiple miRNAs from single intron clusters with diverse functions.

Conclusions:

  • Intronic miRNAs represent a conserved gene regulatory mechanism.
  • Intronic miRNA-mediated transgenic animals are valuable tools for studying miRNA functions.
  • This model holds promise for understanding miRNA-associated diseases and developing novel therapies.

More Related Videos

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation06:16

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

Published on: May 1, 2021

MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as a Novel Detection and Quantification Method09:06

MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as a Novel Detection and Quantification Method

Published on: October 7, 2025

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA ends...
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA ends...
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...