Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Biotin-based Pulldown Assay to Validate mRNA Targets of Cellular miRNAs
Published on: June 12, 2018
Regulation of mRNA translation and stability by microRNAs
Marc Robert Fabian1, Nahum Sonenberg, Witold Filipowicz
1Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada. marc.fabian@mail.mcgill.ca
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that extensively regulate gene expression in animals, plants, and protozoa. miRNAs function posttranscriptionally by usually base-pairing to the mRNA 3'-untranslated regions to repress protein synthesis by mechanisms that are not fully understood. In this review, we describe principles of miRNA-mRNA interactions and proteins that interact with miRNAs and function in miRNA-mediated repression. We discuss the multiple, often contradictory, mechanisms that miRNAs have been reported to use, which cause translational repression and mRNA decay. We also address the issue of cellular localization of miRNA-mediated events and a role for RNA-binding proteins in activation or relief of miRNA repression.
Related Concept Videos
MicroRNAs
MicroRNAs
MicroRNAs
RNA Stability
RNA Stability
Translational Regulation

