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Maternal effects of microRNAs in early embryogenesis

Katherine McJunkin1

  • 1a Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology , National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health , 50 South Drive, Bethesda , MD , USA.

RNA Biology
|November 10, 2017
PubMed

The window of embryonic development after fertilization but prior to the beginning of transcription from the zygotic genome is a period that relies heavily on post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. MicroRNAs constitute one of the predominant mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation, yet their biological function and molecular mechanism of action during this developmental window is poorly understood. Our recent findings demonstrate that the maternal contribution of mir-35 family members contributes to zygotic developmental decisions (sex determination) in C. elegans embryogenesis. Here, I discuss these finding in the context of data from C. elegans and other model organisms regarding the regulation of maternal microRNA activity in early animal embryogenesis.

Keywords:
C. elegansdevelopmental biologyembryoembryogenesismiRISCmiRNAmir-35mir-35-41mir-35-42nhl-2regulation of stability/degradationregulation of translationsmall and large non-coding RNAssup-26

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