Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
06:16
mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation
Published on: May 1, 2021
MicroRNA functions in insects.
1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. s.asgari@uq.edu.au
Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
|October 30, 2012
Summary
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and are vital for insect biology. Dysregulation of these small RNAs is linked to insect development, diseases, and cancer.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs found in eukaryotes and viruses.
- Their function as gene expression regulators is increasingly recognized.
- Altered miRNA expression is implicated in various disorders, including cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on miRNA functions in insects.
- To provide insight into the diverse roles of miRNAs in insect biology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on insect miRNAs.
- Analysis of reported miRNA functions in various biological processes.
Main Results:
- miRNAs play critical roles in numerous insect biological processes.
- Specific miRNAs are associated with insect development, immunity, and stress responses.
- miRNA dysregulation is linked to insect diseases and pathologies.
Conclusions:
- MicroRNAs are essential regulators in insects with significant implications for their biology.
- Further research into insect miRNAs can illuminate their roles in health and disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:22MicroRNAs
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...
01:22MicroRNAs
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...
01:22MicroRNAs
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...
01:23RNA 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...
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...
02:57piRNA - 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...
02:15Experimental 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...