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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells
Published on: June 16, 2022
RNA Secondary Structure Modulates FMRP's Bi-Functional Role in the MicroRNA Pathway
Phillip Kenny1, Stephanie Ceman2,3,4
1Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. pjkenny2@illinois.edu.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs act by post-transcriptionally regulating the gene expression of 30%-60% of mammalian genomes. MicroRNAs are key regulators in all cellular processes, though the mechanism by which the cell activates or represses microRNA-mediated translational regulation is poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the RNA binding protein Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) and its role in microRNA-mediated translational regulation. Historically, FMRP is known to function as a translational suppressor. However, emerging data suggests that FMRP has both an agonistic and antagonistic role in regulating microRNA-mediated translational suppression. This bi-functional role is dependent on FMRP's interaction with the RNA helicase Moloney leukemia virus 10 (MOV10), which modifies the structural landscape of bound mRNA, therefore facilitating or inhibiting its association with the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex.
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