Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy
09:40

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy

Published on: October 4, 2019

Formation of GW bodies is a consequence of microRNA genesis

Kaleb M Pauley1, Theophany Eystathioy, Andrew Jakymiw

  • 1Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100424, Gainesville, 32610-0424, USA.

EMBO Reports
|August 15, 2006
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for the formation of GW bodies (GWBs), which are involved in RNA regulation. This study demonstrates that miRNAs are crucial components in GWB assembly and function.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • RNA Biology

Background:

  • GW bodies (GWBs), also known as mammalian P bodies, are cellular structures implicated in mRNA storage and degradation.
  • Recent research suggests a role for GWBs in RNA interference and microRNA (miRNA) processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of miRNAs in the formation and maintenance of GW bodies.
  • To elucidate the relationship between miRNA processing machinery and GWB assembly.

Main Methods:

  • Co-precipitation assays to detect interactions between endogenous let-7 miRNA and the GW182 protein complex.
  • Knockdown experiments targeting Drosha and DGCR8 proteins, essential for miRNA biogenesis, to observe effects on GWB formation.
  • RNA interference (RNAi) mediated knockdown of lamin A/C to assess its impact on GWB reassembly.

Main Results:

  • Endogenous let-7 miRNA was found to co-precipitate with the GW182 protein complex, indicating a direct association.
  • Knockdown of Drosha and DGCR8 led to the disappearance of GWBs, highlighting their dependence on mature miRNA generation.
  • Reintroduction of short interference RNA targeting lamin A/C resulted in GWB reassembly concurrently with lamin A/C protein knockdown.

Conclusions:

  • MicroRNAs are indispensable components for the proper formation of GW bodies.
  • The biogenesis and function of miRNAs are tightly linked to the structural integrity and assembly of GWBs.
  • These findings establish a critical role for miRNAs in regulating cellular processes mediated by GW bodies.

More Related Videos

CRISPR Gene Editing Tool for MicroRNA Cluster Network Analysis10:40

CRISPR Gene Editing Tool for MicroRNA Cluster Network Analysis

Published on: April 25, 2022

A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells06:48

A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells

Published on: June 16, 2022

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...
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...
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies01:38

Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies

Intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) are small vesicles 50-80 nm in diameter formed during the maturation of early endosomes. A specialized endosome containing numerous ILVs is called a multivesicular body (MVB). ILVs contain internalized molecules such as antigens, nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. Some of these molecules are released from the MVBs inside exosomes and are transported to other cells. Other MVBs contain molecules that are retained in the ILVs and are later degraded within the...
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts01:13

Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts

De novo myogenesis, or the formation of muscle fibers, begins during the early embryonic stages. The skeletal muscle is formed from somites– blocks of embryonic cell layers. The somites are further divided into dermatomes, myotomes, sclerotomes, and syndetomes. Among these, the myotomes give rise to muscle fibers.
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...