Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

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...

Multi-species Conserved Sequences

Multi-species Conserved Sequences

Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved DNA...

Experimental RNAi

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...

MicroRNAs

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

An information content principle explains regulatory patterns of gene expression across human tissues.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Quantitative genetics of natural S. cerevisiae strains upon mating reveal heritable determinants of fitness and differential mating affinities.

Cell reports·2026

Same author

Essentiality and dynamic expression of the human tRNA pool during viral infection.

Molecular systems biology·2026

Same author

J-domain proteins: from molecular mechanisms to diseases.

Cell stress & chaperones·2025

Same author

Bacterial strains in the human gut associate with host physiology.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Molecular Systems Biology at 20: reflecting on the past, envisioning the future.

Molecular systems biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

Published on: May 1, 2021

CpG Islands as a putative source for animal miRNAs: evolutionary and functional implications.

Dvir Dahary¹, Reut Shalgi, Yitzhak Pilpel

¹Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Molecular Biology and Evolution

|November 25, 2010

Summary

Novel microRNA (miR) families, crucial for animal evolution, originate from distinct genomic sources: transposable elements and CpG islands. This study reveals their unique evolutionary paths and characteristics, clarifying miR origins in regulatory networks.

More Related Videos

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

Published on: July 12, 2022

A Complete Pipeline for Isolating and Sequencing MicroRNAs, and Analyzing Them Using Open Source Tools

A Complete Pipeline for Isolating and Sequencing MicroRNAs, and Analyzing Them Using Open Source Tools

Published on: August 21, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

Published on: May 1, 2021

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

Published on: July 12, 2022

A Complete Pipeline for Isolating and Sequencing MicroRNAs, and Analyzing Them Using Open Source Tools

A Complete Pipeline for Isolating and Sequencing MicroRNAs, and Analyzing Them Using Open Source Tools

Published on: August 21, 2019

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genomics
Molecular biology

Background:

MicroRNAs (miRs) are key regulators in animal development and evolution.
The evolutionary origins of novel miR families remain largely unknown.
Understanding miR origins is crucial for deciphering animal morphological complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the genomic origins of novel microRNA families.
To explore two potential sources: transposable elements and CpG islands.
To differentiate the evolutionary trajectories and characteristics of miRs from these distinct origins.

Main Methods:

Comparative genomics analysis.
Phylogenetic analysis of miR families.
Characterization of functional and genomic features of miRs.

Main Results:

Identified transposable elements and CpG islands as distinct sources for novel miR families.
Demonstrated that miRs from these two origins exhibit significantly different genomic and functional characteristics.
Showcased that these origins are evolutionarily independent.

Conclusions:

Provides evidence for dual genomic origins of novel miR families in animals.
Highlights the distinct evolutionary pathways and functional implications of miRs from different genomic sources.
Offers insights into the evolution of gene regulatory networks.