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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...
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...
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...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

A Complete Pipeline for Isolating and Sequencing MicroRNAs, and Analyzing Them Using Open Source Tools
09:29

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

Published on: August 21, 2019

Multiple products from microRNA transcripts.

Antonio Marco1, Maria Ninova, Sam Griffiths-Jones

  • 1Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.

Biochemical Society Transactions
|July 19, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an exception to the rarity of polycistronic transcripts in eukaryotes. These small RNAs often arise from single transcripts encoding multiple products, facilitating gene regulation.

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Biotin-based Pulldown Assay to Validate mRNA Targets of Cellular miRNAs
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Biotin-based Pulldown Assay to Validate mRNA Targets of Cellular miRNAs

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High Throughput MicroRNA Profiling: Optimized Multiplex qRT-PCR at Nanoliter Scale on the Fluidigm Dynamic ArrayTM IFCs
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High Throughput MicroRNA Profiling: Optimized Multiplex qRT-PCR at Nanoliter Scale on the Fluidigm Dynamic ArrayTM IFCs

Published on: August 3, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2026

A Complete Pipeline for Isolating and Sequencing MicroRNAs, and Analyzing Them Using Open Source Tools
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Published on: August 21, 2019

Biotin-based Pulldown Assay to Validate mRNA Targets of Cellular miRNAs
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High Throughput MicroRNA Profiling: Optimized Multiplex qRT-PCR at Nanoliter Scale on the Fluidigm Dynamic ArrayTM IFCs
07:27

High Throughput MicroRNA Profiling: Optimized Multiplex qRT-PCR at Nanoliter Scale on the Fluidigm Dynamic ArrayTM IFCs

Published on: August 3, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Gene Regulation

Background:

  • Polycistronic transcripts, common in bacteria, are rare in eukaryotes.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally.
  • Unlike typical eukaryotic transcripts, miRNA primary transcripts often yield multiple products.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms by which miRNA primary transcripts produce multiple functional products.
  • To explore the evolutionary implications of miRNAs being hosted in polycistronic transcripts.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on miRNA biogenesis and evolution.
  • Analysis of mechanisms generating multiple miRNA products from single precursors.
  • Discussion of evolutionary pressures favoring miRNA precursors in multi-product transcripts.

Main Results:

  • miRNAs are frequently produced from polycistronic transcripts containing multiple miRNA precursors.
  • miRNAs can originate from introns of protein-coding genes.
  • A single miRNA precursor can yield two distinct mature miRNA molecules.

Conclusions:

  • The polycistronic nature of miRNA transcripts is a common feature in eukaryotes.
  • This phenomenon is linked to the evolutionary advantage of new miRNA precursor sequences arising in transcribed regions.
  • miRNAs' ability to be produced in multiple copies from a single transcript likely contributes to their functional efficiency and evolutionary success.